NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police claimed to have busted an international syndicate dealing in stolen mobile phones after it arrested seven gang members and confiscated 311 mobiles worth more than Rs 60 lakh. The gang members were arrested after the Interstate Cell Crime Branch received information about a group of people involved in snatching high-end mobiles phones and selling them in Nepal as their demand had gone up there.
A probe revealed that the stolen mobile phones were taken across the border by road, road, making use of the regular bus services between the two countries. The IMEI search of stolen snatched mobile phones is restricted to India, so stolen mobile phones are taken across the border to be disposed of.
According to the police, the accused — Mukesh Kumar (38), Naresh Kumar (27), Rajan (28) and Gopal Pathak (31) — would buy phones from Rohit (23) and other habitual snatchers and pickpockets. The consignments were then handed over to Naresh Kumar (30), who oversaw the logistics of taking the gadgets to Nepal.
Another key player was Ram Singh (58), a resident of Kathmandu, who facilitated the movement of these consignments from Delhi to Nepal. Singh was also responsible for payment for these phones through illegal channels of monetary transactions.
“The gang was busted during an investigation into a complaint about snatching of a mobile phone that took place in Connaught Place,” Rajesh Deo, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), said. It was found that some of the gang members had worked in Gaffar Market for the last couple of years as mobile phone repairers. However, due to regular raids by police agencies and a decline in the prices of mobile phones, their business of repairing and reselling mobile phones had gone downhill. The IMEIs and details of recovered phones are being uploaded on the Delhi Police website for members of the public to locate their phone.