2 Air India loaders nabbed for stealing cash from check-in bag

Mumbai, Feb 27 : The Mumbai police arrested two Air India (AI) loaders and busted a seven-member gang indulging in thefts at the cargo complex near the international airport in two separate cases, a police official said here Saturday.

The two AI loaders have been charged with stealing a bag containing Rs.2 lakh cash from a registered check-in baggage Feb 15, said Sahar police station in-charge Dilip Patil.

The bag, belonging to M/s Akbar Travels Pvt Ltd, a leading Mumbai tour operator, was booked on an Air India Mumbai-Kochi flight AI-690 and was later reported missing by the tour company.

Investigations led the police to the two AI loaders -- Jagdish Kir and Ganesh Khedekar, both 38 -- and the cash was recovered.

In another development, police also busted a seven-member gang which stole mobile phones from the cargo complex, Patil said.

A Mulund-based company M/s. Chirag Corporation had lodged a complaint in December 2009 of the theft of at least 50 Samsung phones from a packet containing 200 instruments, bound for London.

Police have also recovered 25 cellphones worth Rs.97,000 from the gang and a probe is on to find out whether they are linked to the Air India loaders.