MUMBAI: Directorate of Revenue Intelligence ( DRI ) officials nabbed Mohammad Jamadar, vice-president, South Mumbai District Congress Committee, on Thursday morning in an alleged 15kg gold smuggling racket after a 45-minute car chase from CST to Bandra-Worli Sealink.

The remand application stated that Jamadar was the mastermind of the racket. He hired carriers to smuggle in gold from Dubai on a commission basis - allegedly Rs 10,000 to each. He has been involved in the racket since 2015, said the application.

His arrest was preceded by high drama near CST station when he tried to flee in a Mercedes and was chased by cops in a van for 45 minutes till the sealink toll naka, where he was forced to stop at a "barricade" created by eight police vans.

DRI officials said they sought help from cops on seeing Jamadar in the company of his aides. "We informed deputy police commissioner Manoj Sharma, who sent a police team to the CST entrance. Sensing trouble, his aides left in a vehicle and Jamadar fled in a Mercedes," said an officer. The DRI as well as police teams gave the two vehicles a chase in a van. "Jamadar drove at high speed. We thought he was carrying some contraband or a weapon," said an officer.

The vehicle in which the aides were travelling took a detour on way to Worli. "Meanwhile, Sharma alerted other police stations and eight police vehicles cornered Jamadar on the sealink. Cops barricaded the area near the toll naka to ensure Jamadar could not proceed," said an officer. "Once we surrounded him, he meekly surrendered," he said. DRI has been looking for Jamadar in connection with smuggling of 15kg gold worth Rs 4.5 crore since February. He was allegedly introduced to smuggling in 2015 by one Siddiqui who is on the run.

Officials said Jamadar, a Class VIII dropout, is an NRI who has been running the racket from Dubai.

