The Mumbai police have registered an offence against officials of the National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) and others for allegedly siphoning off more than Rs 10 crore of provident funds, social allowances and welfare fund contributions of 1.6 lakh seafarers working on foreign flagships, police said on Monday.

The case was registered under sections 409 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on a complaint lodged by the secretary of the Forward Seamans Union of India at Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Marg police station here on Saturday, an official said.

The case was transferred to the economic offences wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police for further investigation, he said.

The FIR has been registered against Abdul Gani Sarang, the general secretary and treasurer of the NUSI, former office bearer Leo Bans, who died few years ago, and others, he said.

As per the complaint, the provident fund, social allowances and welfare fund contributions of Indian seafarers working on foreign flagships were allegedly siphoned off and deposited with some private trusts in different heads and multiple currencies, instead of the Government of India, the official said.

The complainant has claimed that he had received complaints from retired seafarers and those working on foreign flag ships due to which he approached the Mumbai police, he said.