NEW DELHI: Eight members of an inter-state racket have been arrested for allegedly smuggling stolen and snatched mobile phones to Bangladesh via West Bengal, police said on Thursday.
The gang reportedly sourced stolen phones from pickpockets, robbers, and snatchers operating on buses across Delhi. These phones were then transported through Kolkata and smuggled into Bangladesh via the Indo-Bangladesh border. The operation was facilitated by an accused residing in the border area, who had strong local contacts and relatives in Bangladesh.
Police recovered a total of 294 mobile phones worth approximately Rs 50 lakh. Of these, 45 phones were found linked to FIRs, and 30 phones to lost property reports.
On 27 July, police received a tip-off regarding a gang involved in thefts on DTC buses along the MG–MB Road. A trap was laid, and four individuals — identified as Dinesh, Rizwan, Ravi, and Ajay — were apprehended. Upon their arrest, 38 mobile phones were recovered.
During interrogation, the suspects revealed they were supplying the phones to a man named Vichitra Puri, who was later apprehended on 7 August with five stolen phones. He disclosed that the stolen devices were being collected by Mojahir, who transported them to Kolkata.
Further investigation revealed that Mojahir was in regular contact with Mohammad Khalid, a resident of Kolkata. A police team travelled to Kolkata and arrested Khalid on 21 August, recovering 30 mobile phones from his residence. He admitted these had been received from Mojahir during a visit on 12 August. Khalid’s mobile phone also contained contact details of several Bangladeshi nationals.
According to his statement, Bangladeshi handlers would send their associates to collect the stolen phones. Khalid also admitted to having relatives in Bangladesh.
Mojahir and his associate, Shivam Kumar Jha, frequently travelled to Kolkata, reportedly at least four times a month, as confirmed by their travel history. Both were detained late on 23 August, with 75 mobile phones recovered from them.
So far, the investigation has established that Khalid, Mojahir, and Jha were operating in close coordination, using mobile phones for communication and conducting financial transactions via UPI platforms. Police said Khalid is believed to have received around 1,000 mobile phones from Mojahir over time.
Digital analysis of Khalid’s mobile phone revealed three active Bangladeshi WhatsApp numbers, suspected to be used by foreign handlers to coordinate the smuggling. Efforts are ongoing to trace these individuals and determine their roles.
To date, police have recovered 194 mobile phones from the gang, and an additional 100 phones through the CEIR Portal — the Central Equipment Identity Register launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The portal allows users to block the IMEI numbers of stolen or snatched mobile phones by lodging complaints via the Delhi Police website, officials added.