Rs18-cr naval goods go missing from Mumbai

The Ghatkopar police have registered a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust against a transport company owner and a truck driver who allegedly did not deliver a consignment of naval goods to Kochi in January this year.

According to the police, spare parts of defence aircrafts and ships worth Rs18 crore have gone missing.

Goods like aircraft and ship’s spare parts sealed in 203 wooden boxes were booked in a truck number MH-11-AL-63 by the transport company, Messrs Marks Food Transport, from the Naval

Stores at Ghatkopar for delivery to Kochi. According to the
statement by officials from the Naval stores at LBS Road in Ghatkopar, the consignment never reached its destination in Kochi.

The headquarters of the Southern Naval Command is located at Kochi and one of the country’s biggest ship-building companies —  Kochi Shipyard — is located there.

It is not yet clear whether the spare parts were those of a new aircraft and ship or belonged to old ones.

According to the police, officials from the Naval stores said there was a departmental inquiry conducted regarding the case after which they finally registered the police case on Friday.

The main accused has been identified as Mahendra Shah, 55, while the driver is unidentified. Police have launched a manhunt for the accused.

When contacted, the defence spokesperson in Mumbai said he had no information about the case.