According to the police, the hoodlums had been collecting Rs 500 every month from the owner of an STD booth, laundry located in Dadar (West) as protection money since 1997. The businessman was led to believe that they members of the Arun Gawli gang, the police.

On November 2 the five men approached him and hiked the protection money to Rs 50,000. They threatened to kill him and his son if he failed to cough up the protection money. They also damaged the STD booth before escaping from the spot.

They have been identified as Sunil Diple (25), Nitin Diple (28), Yogesh Kalkopar (19), Sachin Randir and Jaganath Lad (19). Four choppers have been recovered from the gang.