VIJAYAWADA: Vijayawada Central Crime Station (CCS) police have arrested six members of a notorious burglary gang from Jaunpur of Uttar Pradesh for stealing 373 mobile phones and accessories, including 271 iPhones, from a warehouse in Enikepadu.
The stolen goods, valued at Rs 2.51 crore, were taken from the Ingram Micro India warehouse on February 6.
NTR District Commissioner of Police (CP) SV Rajasekhar Babu said the arrested gang members — Deepchandra Prajapathi (27), Maya Jai Prakash Patel (28), Sunil Kumar Saroj (37), Brijesh Kumar Ugra (25), Mithilesh Kumar (42), and Surendra Kumar Patel (33) — targeted mobile warehouses for theft and sold the phones in Nepal.
The gang received information on warehouse locations through another accused, Ranjith, and conducted a two-day recce before breaking into the warehouse.
Following a complaint, Patamata police registered a case, which was later transferred to CCS. Police identified the vehicle used in the crime through CCTV footage and traced it back to Uttar Pradesh. Advanced technology and coordination with authorities in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar helped track down the accused.
The stolen phones were sold in Kathmandu, Nepal, where IMEI numbers are blocked, making them untraceable in India.
Prajapathi, the prime accused, runs a travel business, while the other gang members work as daily wagers.
Further investigation is ongoing to dismantle the gang’s network and arrest Ranjith, who remains at large.