In a shocking incident highlighting rising criminal audacity in the city, two unidentified men posing as police personnel robbed a 28-year-old youth outside Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. The accused fled with cash worth ₹53,000, including Indian and foreign currency. The Mumbai Police have registered a case and launched a search for the suspects.
According to police officials, the victim has been identified as Bablue Fakruddin Khan (28), a resident of Indora Nagar in Kurla East. He works as a samosa maker and is the sole breadwinner for his family. Khan had travelled to Dubai in January 2026 in search of employment but was forced to return due to war-like conditions there.
On March 26, at around 9 am, Khan landed at the Mumbai airport. About an hour later, he boarded an autorickshaw to head home. At approximately 10:05 am, when the rickshaw reached near the JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar on the road leading towards Sakinaka, a bike carrying two men intercepted the vehicle.
One of the accused got into the rickshaw and claimed to be a police officer, telling Khan that they needed to conduct a search. When Khan asked for identification, the accused evaded the request but managed to gain his trust by posing as police personnel. They then asked him to show the cash he was carrying.
Frightened, Khan handed over ₹1,500 in cash and 2,000 dirhams. The accused told him that the money would be deposited at the police station and that he could collect it from there. Soon after, both men sped away towards Sakinaka.
Realising that he had been duped, Khan approached the police station and lodged a complaint. The police have registered a case of cheating and robbery against unknown persons. Officials are currently scanning CCTV footage from the airport to Sakinaka stretch to identify the accused and trace their movement.