Mumbai, The Mumbai Police have launched a high-level probe after a 48-year-old entrepreneur filed a complaint alleging he received death threats and extortion demands from individuals claiming to be linked to an international crime syndicate operating out of the Gulf region.
The complainant, who runs a pharmaceutical export company with offices in Mumbai and Singapore, stated that the threats stem from a long-standing commercial dispute with a Turkish supplier involving the shipment of raw materials for drug manufacturing.
According to the FIR, the businessman signed a contract in 2018 for importing medical-grade chemicals from Turkey. Payments were routed through a third-party account in the UAE due to banking restrictions at the time.
However, the Turkish supplier later accused the businessman of withholding final payments for three consignments worth approximately USD 1.5 million and initiated arbitration proceedings in Istanbul. The businessman claims he contested the allegations, but an arbitral award was passed in favor of the Turkish company in 2021.
Subsequently, the supplier approached the Bombay High Court to enforce the foreign award. While the High Court allowed the matter to be heard, enforcement orders have not been granted yet, and the case remains sub judice.
The complainant alleges that since July this year, he has been receiving calls and messages via internet-based numbers, demanding an initial sum of ₹3 crore, later inflated to ₹60 crore. The callers allegedly threatened to “eliminate him like Jamir Qureshi,” referring to a previously reported gangland killing.
Alarmed by the escalating threats, the businessman lodged a formal complaint at the Marine Drive Police Station. The case has now been transferred to the Anti-Extortion Cell of the Mumbai Crime Branch for further investigation.
A senior officer from the Mumbai Police said, “We are verifying the complainant’s claims and investigating the possible involvement of international networks that exploit commercial disputes to extort money. Digital forensics and call tracing are underway to track the origin of these threats.”
The incident has raised fresh concerns about the growing nexus between cross-border business disputes and organised crime networks leveraging intimidation to settle financial claims. Investigations are ongoing, and police are coordinating with Interpol and cybercrime units to trace suspects overseas.
(IANS/NS)
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