Pune DRI Deputy Director Receives Death Threats Allegedly Linked to D-Company Over Seized Smuggled Goods
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Viman Nagar, 19th June 2026: A senior official of the Pune unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has allegedly received death threats from individuals claiming links to the notorious D-Company syndicate led by fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim.
According to police, the threats were issued after the DRI official refused to intervene in the release of laptops and mobile phones allegedly seized by customs authorities from suspected international smugglers at Mumbai airport.
A case has been registered against Mushtaq Sheikh and an unidentified person based on a complaint filed by the 33-year-old Deputy Director of the DRI’s Pune Regional Unit. The case has been booked under Sections 351, 351(4), 352 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Police said the complainant has been serving as Deputy Director of the DRI in Pune since 2024.
According to the complaint, on May 3, 2026, while the officer was on leave at his native place, he received a phone call from Mushtaq Sheikh, who claimed to know one of the DRI’s informers and expressed interest in working as an informant himself.
However, during another phone call on May 5, when the officer was at Patna airport, Sheikh allegedly revealed his actual motive.
He allegedly told the officer that some members of his network had arrived in India from Dubai and that the Air Intelligence Unit and Customs Department at Mumbai airport had seized their expensive laptops and mobile phones.
Sheikh allegedly asked the officer to speak to senior customs officials and facilitate the release of the seized items. The DRI officer reportedly refused to comply, citing the illegality of the request.
Police said that following the refusal, Sheikh allegedly sent 13 consecutive threatening audio messages to the officer via WhatsApp at around 3:40 am on May 6.
In the audio clips, the accused allegedly claimed that he had been involved in gold and electronics smuggling for the past 30 years and that no agency had been able to stop him. He also allegedly claimed to have links with international criminals and threatened the officer and his family with dire consequences.
According to the complaint, Sheikh allegedly warned the officer that he would ensure neither he nor his family could leave Pune safely and used abusive language while attempting to intimidate him. He also allegedly threatened to file a false complaint with the Prime Minister’s Office.
Later the same day, at around 5:24 pm, the officer reportedly received another threatening call from an international number.
The unidentified caller allegedly claimed to have been working directly for Dawood Ibrahim and the D-Company syndicate for the past three decades. The caller further claimed to be a known figure to the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).
Police said the caller not only threatened the Deputy Director but also attempted to intimidate the entire DRI Pune Regional Unit and its staff, allegedly seeking to obstruct official duties.
The incident has triggered concern within the Pune Police, given the alleged involvement of an international smuggling network and references to an organised crime syndicate.
Senior Police Inspector and in-charge of Airport Police Station, Govind Jadhav, immediately informed senior officers and the police control room after learning about the matter.
As the initial complaint was registered as a non-cognisable offence, police have initiated the legal process to obtain court permission for further investigation and to seek warrants against the accused.
Assistant Police Inspector Ashok Shirsath of Airport Police Station is conducting further investigation.
