The gangsters were nabbed by a special squad attached to the Anti-Extortion Cell near Classic Hotel at Band Stand. They have been identified as Mohammed Javed Umer Khan alias Guddu, Abdul Rahim Subedar Sheikh alias Firoz, Jamal Ismail Sheikh alias Pappu, Rajesh Hatalkar and Mohammed Bashir Ansari. In the subsequent search operation, four imported Tokarev Mauser pistols and 28 9mm live rounds were recovered from them. Also seized was a loaded factory-made revolver with live cartridges.

The gangsters during interrogation revealed that they were acting on instructions fromDubai-based gangster Abu Salem when they opened fire at Chandanwadi earlier this month. Jeetendra Sura and Sunil Pawar - who were mistaken for Mahesh Mehta owner of a pharmaceutical firm and his friend - were gunned down while five other bystanders were injured at Chandanwadi on January 7. The gangsters revealed that they had a Rs 1-lakh contract to kill Mehta, however Abu Salem gave them only 50,000 when he learnt that they had killed the wrong guy.

They told the police that they carried out contract killings in the city for amounts varying between Rs 35,000 and Rs 50,000. They used to divide the money equally between them.

The group was involved in eliminating Aziz Khabri on November 11 and Iqbal Chunnawala and Maniram Panchal on December 7. Two days later they gunned down Mohammed Achan Sheikh at Govandi in north-east Mumbai. The group struck again on December 10 killing Iqbal Langda and a bystander Gopal Satri.

Police informant Parvez Alam was killed by the same group at Cheeta Camp on December 19followed by Shaukat Karia at Mahim on December 24. And there's was a team in which all members contributed equally in every kill. ``Only one member of the gang knew how to cock a gun. He used to load the weapon and give it to the shooter who only had to get close and pull the trigger,'' Maria pointed out.

Strangely, there is very little in common between the assorted lot. While Khan, the key organiser, was a salesman at New Delhi before he took to crime, shooters Ansari and Jamal Sheikh were cobblers before their initiation into crimedom by Abu Salem. Hatalkar was a small-time thief before he graduated to become a shooter. He was primarily responsible for stealing cars and motorcycles which the gangsters used for escaping. A city Metropolitan Magistrate has remanded the five gangsters to police custody till January 25 this month.