Rs 2.5 crore gold stolen from Ahmedabad airport in Bollywood-style heist
In a Bollywood-style airport heist, airline and airport staff allegedly smuggled out a Rs 2.58 crore gold consignment from an Ahmedabad-Bengaluru cargo shipment.
A consignment of gold jewellery weighing around 2.1 kg worth approximately Rs 2.5 crore was booked for air cargo shipment from Ahmedabad Airport. But it never reached its destination, Bengaluru. What unfolded in the subsequent investigation was a meticulously planned mid-transit heist that could rival a Bollywood crime thriller.
A high-value gold jewellery consignment worth over Rs 2.58 crore was stolen before it could be loaded onto an Ahmedabad-Bengaluru flight in a carefully planned operation allegedly involving airline and airport staff. Police have arrested eight accused and recovered cash and valuables worth more than Rs 1.72 crore.
The theft took place after seven parcels containing gold jewellery were handed over for shipment from Ahmedabad to Bengaluru on April 18. The ornaments, manufactured by a jeweller for Titan Company, were being transported through an Akasa Air cargo service from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
One of the parcels, weighing around 13 kg and containing over 2.107 kg of gold jewellery valued at Rs 2.58 crore, never arrived in Bengaluru.
During the investigation, police uncovered the alleged involvement of airport and airline employees in what officials described as a well-planned conspiracy.
HOW THEFT WAS EXECUTED
The mastermind of the heist was Roshan Patel, a cleaning in-charge of Akasa Air. He was assisted by Zaid Hasan Ansari, the airline's security in-charge, who helped move the gold out of the airport's high-security zone while evading CCTV cameras and body-worn surveillance devices.
Zaid Ansari, Roshan Patel and Junagadh resident Sultan Sama were the key conspirators behind the theft, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police Atul Bansal.
One of the accused, Salim Mohammad Ansari, had booked tickets on the Ahmedabad-Bengaluru flight while posing as regular passengers, a way to enter the airport. When the seven cargo parcels were shifted into an empty passenger compartment, the parcel containing the gold jewellery was separated and placed on the trolley of a loader Jayesh Parmar.
The parcel was later handed over to one Salim Ansari, who then acted as a passenger exiting Ahmedabad Airport. According to police, Salim Ansari’s role was to transport the stolen gold out of Ahmedabad using the commercial flight route.
As airport staff were involved in the heist, the group managed to evade security checks and move the consignment seamlessly within the airport before finally handing it over to a fake passenger to smuggle it out.
After the theft, Sultan Sama and his associates allegedly melted the gold and sold it to different jewellers.
The investigation has now expanded to Ahmedabad and Rajkot, where police have also arrested alleged buyers of the stolen gold.
Officials said the accused had attempted similar thefts three times in March from the airport’s high-security zone, but those attempts failed due to the presence of a larger number of staff members and loaders.
Police have arrested eight accused so far, while four others remain absconding. During searches, investigators recovered Rs 69.24 lakh in cash along with gold and silver jewellery worth Rs 1.02 crore from the accused. Authorities said valuables worth more than Rs 1.72 crore have been seized so far.
Investigators added that the largest share of the proceeds from the stolen gold was allegedly meant for Zaid Ansari. Police said recoveries ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3 lakh were made from different accused, with the highest amount recovered from Ansari.
Airport police said further investigation is underway to trace additional valuables and identify others linked to the alleged smuggling and sale network.
Meanwhile, Akasa Air has also issued a statement announcing that the two accused employees have been terminated.
The matter was reported immediately to police authorities by Akasa Air, after the incident. We have extended our full support to the relevant authorities and will continue to cooperate with the ongoing investigation. Two of the accused individuals who were employees of Akasa Air are no longer employed by us. As the investigation is ongoing, we will not be commenting further at this stage," a Akasa Air spokesperson said.
A consignment of gold jewellery weighing around 2.1 kg worth approximately Rs 2.5 crore was booked for air cargo shipment from Ahmedabad Airport. But it never reached its destination, Bengaluru. What unfolded in the subsequent investigation was a meticulously planned mid-transit heist that could rival a Bollywood crime thriller.
A high-value gold jewellery consignment worth over Rs 2.58 crore was stolen before it could be loaded onto an Ahmedabad-Bengaluru flight in a carefully planned operation allegedly involving airline and airport staff. Police have arrested eight accused and recovered cash and valuables worth more than Rs 1.72 crore.
The theft took place after seven parcels containing gold jewellery were handed over for shipment from Ahmedabad to Bengaluru on April 18. The ornaments, manufactured by a jeweller for Titan Company, were being transported through an Akasa Air cargo service from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
One of the parcels, weighing around 13 kg and containing over 2.107 kg of gold jewellery valued at Rs 2.58 crore, never arrived in Bengaluru.
During the investigation, police uncovered the alleged involvement of airport and airline employees in what officials described as a well-planned conspiracy.
HOW THEFT WAS EXECUTED
The mastermind of the heist was Roshan Patel, a cleaning in-charge of Akasa Air. He was assisted by Zaid Hasan Ansari, the airline's security in-charge, who helped move the gold out of the airport's high-security zone while evading CCTV cameras and body-worn surveillance devices.
Zaid Ansari, Roshan Patel and Junagadh resident Sultan Sama were the key conspirators behind the theft, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police Atul Bansal.
One of the accused, Salim Mohammad Ansari, had booked tickets on the Ahmedabad-Bengaluru flight while posing as regular passengers, a way to enter the airport. When the seven cargo parcels were shifted into an empty passenger compartment, the parcel containing the gold jewellery was separated and placed on the trolley of a loader Jayesh Parmar.
The parcel was later handed over to one Salim Ansari, who then acted as a passenger exiting Ahmedabad Airport. According to police, Salim Ansari’s role was to transport the stolen gold out of Ahmedabad using the commercial flight route.
As airport staff were involved in the heist, the group managed to evade security checks and move the consignment seamlessly within the airport before finally handing it over to a fake passenger to smuggle it out.
After the theft, Sultan Sama and his associates allegedly melted the gold and sold it to different jewellers.
The investigation has now expanded to Ahmedabad and Rajkot, where police have also arrested alleged buyers of the stolen gold.
Officials said the accused had attempted similar thefts three times in March from the airport’s high-security zone, but those attempts failed due to the presence of a larger number of staff members and loaders.
Police have arrested eight accused so far, while four others remain absconding. During searches, investigators recovered Rs 69.24 lakh in cash along with gold and silver jewellery worth Rs 1.02 crore from the accused. Authorities said valuables worth more than Rs 1.72 crore have been seized so far.
Investigators added that the largest share of the proceeds from the stolen gold was allegedly meant for Zaid Ansari. Police said recoveries ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3 lakh were made from different accused, with the highest amount recovered from Ansari.
Airport police said further investigation is underway to trace additional valuables and identify others linked to the alleged smuggling and sale network.
Meanwhile, Akasa Air has also issued a statement announcing that the two accused employees have been terminated.
The matter was reported immediately to police authorities by Akasa Air, after the incident. We have extended our full support to the relevant authorities and will continue to cooperate with the ongoing investigation. Two of the accused individuals who were employees of Akasa Air are no longer employed by us. As the investigation is ongoing, we will not be commenting further at this stage," a Akasa Air spokesperson said.
