Police recover 120-yr-old jewellery, British-era coins after airport arrest

The accused, Rahul Kumar Shafi, a resident of Madhubani in Bihar, was nabbed from the airport’s waiting area on July 21 after police tracked him with the help of immigration officials

MUMBAI: Following the arrest of a 26-year-old domestic help from Mumbai airport for allegedly stealing antique jewellery and four British-era coins worth ₹46.8 lakh from his employer’s home in Andheri, Amboli police on Thursday recovered the entire stolen property, including over 120-year-old family heirlooms.

Police recover 120-yr-old jewellery, British-era coins after airport arrest

The accused, Rahul Kumar Shafi, a resident of Madhubani in Bihar, was nabbed from the airport’s waiting area on July 21 after police tracked him with the help of immigration officials.

According to police, the theft surfaced on July 20 when the 72-year-old mother of complainant Aditya Nirmal Jhunjhunwala noticed a gold bangle fall from Shafi’s pocket as he walked into the kitchen. She immediately checked the locker and found most of the antique gold ornaments and four British-era coins bearing the royal cypher missing.

Police said the jewellery had been inherited by the family and was more than 120 years old. It had originally been gifted to Jhunjhunwala’s maternal ancestors and later passed down through generations.

An FIR was registered after Jhunjhunwala approached the Amboli police. Investigators said Shafi had gained the family’s confidence during his 10 years of employment and had unrestricted access to the house.

The family decided to question him the next morning, but Shafi allegedly fled after realising the theft had been detected.

A team led by DCP Purushottam Karad traced him to Mumbai airport and contacted immigration officials, who confirmed that he had cleared security and was waiting to board a 6.45pm flight. Police arrested him around 6pm.

Investigators recovered part of the stolen valuables from Shafi’s backpack. They said around 300 grams of the jewellery had already been sent to his native village in Bihar, from where his father later brought it back and handed it over to police.