₹325 Crore Shipping and Logistics Fraud Rocks Mumbai; EOW Launches Investigation

A massive fraud of over ₹325 crore has been reported in Mumbai’s shipping and logistics sector. The director of a city-based logistics firm has lodged a complaint with the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police, following which an investigation has been initiated.

According to the complaint, several Indian and foreign shipping agencies are accused of luring the complainant into investing in vessel operations with the promise of assured profits. Initial deals were executed smoothly to gain trust, but later transactions allegedly turned fraudulent, resulting in misappropriation of crores of rupees.

The fraud primarily revolves around two vessels — Leela Mombasa and XXH-2. The Leela Mombasa, scheduled to dock at Nhava Sheva on August 1, 2025, arrived nearly two weeks late on August 13 and was diverted to Oman instead of Djibouti, carrying cargo worth about ₹130 crore. Around the same time, the complainant was allegedly coerced into paying USD 1 million (approx. ₹8.3 crore) after officials claimed they lacked funds to move the ships. Despite the payment, the vessels were not operated as promised.

The Leela Mombasa eventually reached Djibouti on September 15, while XXH-2 was diverted from Jeddah to Karachi and held for ten days. Adding to the losses, security cheques issued by the accused parties reportedly bounced — one due to insufficient funds and the other for signature mismatch.

As a result, goods worth over ₹290 crore remain under the control of the accused, leaving exporters to bear heavy losses.

The complainant has alleged that this is part of a “well-planned corporate conspiracy” involving senior officials based both in India and abroad. He has further stated that the matter is not limited to one company but affects the credibility of the entire shipping and logistics industry.

EOW sources confirmed that a preliminary inquiry has been registered. All those named in the complaint have been summoned along with relevant documents so that their statements can be recorded as part of the investigation.