Yellow Gate police crack daring high-seas robbery, two arrested from Gujarat

The assault took place after fishing vessel ‘Swargdan’ collided with another boat. Representation pic/iStock

The Yellow Gate police have cracked a rare and daring high-seas robbery that took place nearly 65 nautical miles into the Arabian Sea, arresting two men from Gujarat for allegedly attacking a fisherman and looting gold from a fishing boat.

The incident took place around 5 pm on December 16, 2025, when ‘Swargdan', a fishing vessel operating far off the Vasai coast, suffered a gear failure and collided with another boat.

Police said two men from the other vessel allegedly boarded ‘Swargdan' and launched a sudden assault on fisherman Ashok Kashinath Pakacha, 50, of Vasai Koliwada. The accused allegedly attacked Pakacha with an iron rod and a knife, causing serious injuries, before forcibly snatching three gold chains weighing approximately 110 grams, valued at around '3.8 lakh. When other fishermen attempted to intervene and rescue him, they too were allegedly assaulted before the accused fled the spot.

Following a complaint, Yellow Gate police registered a case under relevant provisions of the BNS. Given the offshore location of the crime, investigators relied on technical analysis of maritime movements, vessel routes, and confidential intelligence inputs. The operation was carried out under the leadership of Senior Police Inspector Chetan Rathod and PI (Crime) Sudarshan Chavan, with the investigation team comprising API Sachin Shelke, and Police Constables Deepak Netke, Sangram Jadhav, and Pralhad Mandave.

The trail eventually led police to Jafrabad in Gujarat, where the accused - Bhupatbhai Shardulbhai Siyal, 45, and Kamlesh Bhupatbhai Siyal, 22, - were traced and arrested with the help of local police. During the arrest, police recovered two stolen gold chains weighing approximately 93 grams, valued at around '3 lakh. Efforts are on to recover the remaining stolen property.

Police described the case as a significant breakthrough, highlighting the challenges involved in investigating crimes committed deep inside the Arabian Sea.

Dec 16
Day the incident occurred