AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat police has cracked an iPhone heist from a luxury bus, exposing a trail that stretched from Pune to Ahmedabad and, finally, to Dubai.
The accused has been identified as Gajendra, a 32-year-old pharmacy graduate who worked at a medical store in Pune for a monthly salary of around Rs 25,000.
The investigation began on August 15, when a Pune-based mobile-shop owner, Suresh Thakor, packed 14 iPhones worth Rs 10.70 lakh into a parcel addressed to a businessman named Salman in Ahmedabad.
The parcel was sent through a bus, with instructions for the recipient to collect it from the Ahmedabad’s CTM Travels office.
However, the iPhones had vanished by the time Salman arrived to collect the consignment.
As the complaint reached Ramol police station, investigators examined the bus driver's movements and CCTV footage. The footage reportedly revealed a suspicious sequence in which Gajendra, sitting on the last seat, allegedly took the parcel and returned the box a few minutes later.
According to the police investigation, Gajendra was travelling from Pune to Gujarat’s Himmat Nagar to meet his parents when he overheard a conversation between the businessman and the bus driver about the expensive iPhones that should be handled carefully.
Police suspect that Gajendra then took the parcel to his seat, stole the iPhones and kept the box at the same spot.
After allegedly selling the stolen devices, the accused stayed at an expensive resort in Udaipur with his girlfriend and gifted her one of the stolen iPhones.
As police approached closer, Gajendra reportedly went into hiding at a relative's house in Sumerpur, Rajasthan. In an attempt to evade detection, he shut off his regular internet connection and used a dongle for WhatsApp.
Police found his hiding place soon and arrested him.
Police have seized Rs 8,500 in cash, a Samsung Fold-3, an iPhone 17 Pro Max and other valuables worth around Rs 2.28 lakh from the accused.
However, the 14 stolen iPhones were allegedly sold to another accused named Mohsin, who subsequently sold the devices in Dubai. The police arrested him later.
During the investigation, police also found that a POCSO case had previously been registered against Gajendra at his native place.
Police are now investigating the Dubai connection and the complete disposal chain of the stolen devices.