A firearm and five bullets were recovered from the accused, said police. (Representational)
A criminal wanted by Mumbai police in over 30 cases, including murder and extortion, was arrested in Goa while he was boarding a casino ship, an official said on Sunday.
The accused, Vikrant Deshmukh, tried to flee from the spot but was held by the Panaji police after a chase for some distance. A firearm and five bullets were recovered from him.
The arrest was made on Saturday night in a joint operation of Goa Police and Mumbai Police, the official said.
"Notorious criminal Vikrant Deshmukh, wanted by Mumbai police in connection with 33 different cases, including murder, extortion, dacoity and robbery, was arrested while he was boarding a casino vessel in Panaji," Superintendent of Police (North Goa) Shobhit Saxena told reporters.
The tip-off about Deshmukh's presence was given by the Goa crime branch, which was working closely with the Navi Mumbai police, he said.
The SP said Deshmukh was on the run for the last four years. He arrived in Goa two days back for "recreational purposes".
A firearm and five bullets were also recovered from the accused, who is currently being interrogated, he said.
"As per the preliminary investigation, Deshmukh was in Goa for a short stay. So far he has revealed that he was here for a recreational purpose," he said.
The SP said police are trying to find out whether Deshmukh had any links in North Goa.
He said the information about Deshmukh was received during Goa Police's drive against public drinking.
"The accused was staying in Calangute and had come to Panaji on Saturday night to visit the casino. It is suspected that he had one more accomplice. We are interrogating Deshmukh and once the identity of his accomplice is established, we will apprehend him," said Saxena.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)