Robbers strike Mumbai airport, decamp with 100-kg gold and silver coins
25 May 2009
Three armed men stormed into the Air India cargo terminal at the Mumbai airport and decamped with 100 kg of gold and silver coins, in a daring daylight robbery, police sources said.
The robbers struck when three employees of the refinery unit were screening the consignment weighing 145 kg, the police said, adding that the goods belonged to Pidilite Industries.
The gold and silver coins worth around Rs55 lakh were ordered by Pidilite from National Refinery and were being sent to the company's office at Hyderabad, a senior police officer at the airport said.
Two persons, including the clerk of Pidilite Industries and an airport security personnel, were injured during the incident. The security personnel, D S Bhosale, suffered a skull fracture while attempting to prevent the fleeing robbers. He has been admitted to a local hospital and is currently in the ICU, the police said.
No arrests have been made so far.
Officials suspect the robbers had prior information about the cargo containing gold and silver bars.
While questions remain on how the robbers managed to enter the heavily guarded airport and carry out the heist, officials of Indian Airlines and Air India have called a meeting to probe into the security breach.