Malaysian fugitives clash with security at Mumbai airport after UK deportation

Dubai: Three of Malaysia’s most notorious fugitives were involved in a violent confrontation with security personnel at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport after being deported from the United Kingdom, NDTV and The Free Press Journal reported.

The trio — Navindren Raj Cumarason, Sridharan Subramanian and Pratifkumar Selvaraj — are alleged members of a feared criminal syndicate targeted in a major Malaysian police crackdown known as “Ops Jack Sparrow.”

According to reports, the men were denied entry at Manchester Airport after British immigration officials flagged them as high-risk criminal elements. Under international aviation protocol, they were sent back to their last point of departure — Mumbai — where chaos erupted soon after their arrival.

Witnesses and security sources said the fugitives became aggressive in the transit area at Terminal 2, resisting immigration procedures and allegedly attacking Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel in a desperate attempt to break free.

“It was absolute mayhem,” an airport source told NDTV. “They were not just resisting — they were fighting like they had nothing to lose.”

Multiple officers were rushed in to restrain the men and prevent panic among passengers.

Following the scuffle, the trio was moved to the airport’s refusal room — a restricted holding area for deported and denied passengers — where security has been significantly tightened.

NDTV said armed personnel are guarding the area around the clock to prevent any escape attempts, while Indian authorities remain in constant contact with Malaysian officials.

The dramatic episode has raised serious questions about how three wanted criminals were able to transit through Mumbai earlier and board an international flight to the UK.

Investigators are now probing whether forged travel documents were used or whether there was a lapse in the international alert system, including possible gaps in red notice tracking at the time of their departure.

The fugitives are key targets of “Ops Jack Sparrow,” a sweeping operation launched by the Royal Malaysia Police in late 2025 to dismantle organised crime syndicates linked to murders, arson, armed robberies and drug trafficking.

Police records reportedly connect the trio to more than 80 criminal cases, including deadly public attacks, gang violence, and large-scale arson incidents. The syndicate is known for using firearms and machetes to enforce territorial control and carry out crimes.

According to The Free Press Journal, a special team from Malaysia’s elite police unit is expected to arrive in Mumbai within the next 48 hours to formally take custody of the fugitives.

Diplomatic coordination between Indian and Malaysian authorities is underway to ensure a swift handover.

For Navindren, Sridharan and Pratifkumar, what began as a dramatic international escape attempt — slipping out of Malaysia, transiting through India and reaching the UK — has ended under heavy guard in Mumbai, with a return to the Malaysian justice system imminent.