Faldessai isonly 38. But his finesse in looting iron ore is that of a veteran. For once he went too far. Complaints bycompanies whose ore was looted and subsequent investigations have taken the lidoff the core of how ore is looted in Goa. And if this is one trader running amok,imagine what damage multiple traders like Faldessai have done so far. Faldessai’sarrest could blow the lid-off some well kept secrets of the illegal iron oretrade. This is how he operated.
Operationtruck diversion: Trucks transporting iron-ore were willfully directed to Faldessai’splot in Surla, Kotambi and instructed to dump their cargo. He would then sellthe iron ore to prospective buyers. Iron-ore worth four crores was found dumpedin his plot, which he claimed belonged to someone else.
A man of letters (fake of course): He used fake letterheads to pose asa representative of various ore exporters in the state. Tons of iron-ore went missing as Faldessaiconned trucks and mine owners and passed their cargo as his own. He then usedhis suspended license as a mineral trader to sell the ore.
He clearlymade profits: A one-time loader of iron-ore, Faldessai owns flats in upmarketlocations like Caranzalem and Ribandar amongst others. The Collem policeinspector Jivba Dalvi in his petition contesting Faldessai’s bail plea in the HighCourt said, “If bail is granted, further details of this racket will not beexposed. There is a possibility of the involvement of powerful people in thiscase”.
Talking toThe Goan, Dalvi admitted that Faldessai was connected to two very powerfulpeople not connected to the present government.
But the PI needsto arrest him. Faldessai, who was a man about town with connections can’t justvanish. The PI admitted to The Goan that he was under pressure from tworelatives of Congress politicians, but he hasn’t delivered. Both the DGP andthe Chief Minister have ordered him to arrest Faldessai with Mr Parrikar tellinghim that he was under watch and needed to show results.
The Goanwill be watching to see if a rogue trader with political connections getsarrested or manages to stay on the run.
