The coast off Vasai-Virar was a major landing point for gold biscuits smuggled in Arab dhows from Dubai. Vardhabhai was scouting for a reliable person to safely land consignments of the precious metal. He was impressed by the skills of Bhai Thakur and his gang. Bhai was a regular visitor to Vardhabhai's apartment in Vasudha building near Maheshwari Udyan, Matunga East. After the death of Vardhabhai on January 2, 1989, Bhai started working for Dawood Ibrahim gang which had rushed in to fill in the huge vacuum created by the demise of don Vardhabhai.