MUMBAI: The National Investigation Agency on Thursday seized two more luxury vehicles being used by arrested police officer Sachin Waze as part of its probe into the case of a Scorpio laden with explosives found parked near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence on February 25.
One of the vehicles, a Prado, is registered in the name of Vijaykumar Ganpat Bhosle, a Shiv Sena functionary from Ratnagiri, officials said. The other vehicle is a Mercedes Benz.
Three days ago, the police had seized a Mercedes being used by Waze. The state Anti-Terrorism Squad, which is probing the murder of Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran, who had possession of the Scorpio, will seek Waze’s custody during the hearing of his anticipatory bail application in Thane sessions court on Friday.
Meanwhile, the NIA and ATS probe based on CCTV images has revealed that on February 17, Hiran and Waze had a 10-minute conversation in the Mercedes near GPO at Fort. Hiran had travelled to South Mumbai in an Ola cab, claiming his Scorpio had developed a snag on Mulund-Airoli Road.

The CCTV footage showed Waze leaving the Mumbai Police headquarters, where his office was located, in his Mercedes. His vehicle was again spotted outside CSMT at the main traffic signal. The signal was green, but the Mercedes didn’t move further, and Waze had switched on the parking light of the vehicle.

The two cars seized by NIA on Thursday were being used by Waze
After a few seconds, the camera showed Hiran crossing the road and getting into the Mercedes. The cameras spotted the Mercedes again opposite GPO, parked by the roadside. It was parked there for over 10 minutes, after which Hiran got down. The Mercedes was then seen entering the police headquarters.
The driver of the Ola cab used by Hiran to travel to CSMT told ATS officials that Hiran received five calls during the trip. Waze, who is believed to have made these calls, had asked Hiran to meet him outside the Roopam showroom opposite the police headquarters, but during the last call, changed the spot to CSMT, sources said. The probe agencies have contacted L&T for maintenance and preservation of these images.
The owner of the Mercedes seized on March 16, Suresh Bhavsar, has said he sold the vehicle in February to a car trading site and had no links with Waze.

NIA on Thursday also recorded statements of two personnel from the criminal intelligence unit (CIU) where Waze worked. So far, NIA has recorded statements of nine crime branch personnel.
On Thursday, a forensic experts’ team visited the NIA office in South Mumbai. It is learnt that Waze’s Mercedes, seized on March 16 from a BMC parking lot near JJ School of Arts near Crawford Market, was parked on March 13 or 14 by Waze’s driver. The NIA after seizing the car has issued notice to the parking contractor, asking them to give their statement. The Mercedes, said sources, had been parked at this lot a couple of times. It was the driver who would park the car.
There were reports that NIA has got the key of the Scorpio which was parked outside the Ambani residence.