The Thane Crime Branch has busted an interstate cigarette theft racket, arresting three members, including two notorious repeat offenders involved in a series of thefts across Maharashtra and other states. The arrests were made in connection with a burglary at a cigarette godown in Thane’s Rabodi area, where stolen goods worth Rs10.4 lakh, including premium cigarette consignments, were recovered.
Police said the initial incident occurred on July 15, when thieves broke into a godown at Bata Compound, Rabodi, and fled with stock valued at ₹51 lakh. Acting on instructions from senior officers, the Crime Branch launched a parallel investigation.
“The gang took away the DVR machine to erase evidence, but CCTV footage from nearby areas helped identify four suspects. Investigation revealed they used a scooter, a tempo, and another vehicle for the crime. The tempo was later traced to a spot 1 km from the godown, indicating a planned operation,” said Amar Singh Jadhav, DCP Crime.
Using technical analysis, officers tracked the accused to Mira Road, and on July 29, three suspects were apprehended. The recovered haul included cigarettes worth over Rs6 lakh.
The arrested individuals are:
Mahendrakumar Thanaram Meghwal (28), Rajasthan – 14 prior cases
Rajesh alias Anna Baban Kadam (47), Kandivali, Mumbai – 24 prior cases
Ganesh Dhula Patidar (47), Sagoda, Rajasthan
Police stated that the gang had been involved in similar thefts in Thane, Navi Mumbai, Pune, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, often targeting unattended godowns and flats, using stolen vehicles, and selling the stolen goods through grey market channels.
The operation was conducted under the supervision of senior officers from Thane Crime Branch Unit 1, with support from technical teams and local police units. The investigation is ongoing to identify more accomplices.
