CHIKBALLAPUR: The Chikkaballapur CEN (Cyber, Economic and Narcotics) Police cracked a major mobile phone theft case by arresting seven individuals from the Mewat area of Haryana and Rajasthan, who allegedly flew out after executing the heist.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Chikkaballapur Superintendent of Police Kushal Chowksey said that on 22 November 2024, Safe Seed Carriers Private Limited company manager Padmanab lodged a complaint with Peresandra Police Station.
He stated that 170 boxes of Redmi mobiles (totalling 3,400 phones) and 163 boxes of POCO mobiles (totalling 3,260 phones), valued around Rs 3 crore, had been stolen.
The container used for transporting the consignment from Noida, New Delhi to wholesale dealers was found empty near Reddy Gollarahalli under Peresandra Police limits.
"In connection with the case registered at Peresandra Police Station, a team led by Inspector Nayaz Baig arrested the prime accused, Rahul, the driver of the vehicle and a resident of Palwal district in Haryana," Chowksey said.
He added that, as the accused were residents of Haryana and Rajasthan, the case was transferred to the CEN Police under the leadership of Deputy Superintendent of Police Ravi Kumar and Circle Inspector Surya Prakash.
“The team worked on various angles using both traditional and technical methods and successfully arrested all accused involved in the theft, including seizing the truck used for transportation,” he said.
The arrested were identified as Imran, Mohammed Musthafa alias Badra, Anoop Roy, Abhijith Paul, Sakrulla, and Yusuf Khan.
During the investigation, it was revealed that the theft was premeditated. The accused had travelled by flight and, after stealing the consignment, sold the phones at cheaper rates in New Delhi, distributing them across the country. The police recovered 56 mobile phones.
Chowksey said the police, with the help of the Department of Telecommunications, blocked the stolen phones using their IMEI numbers. "A total of 4,084 phones were blocked, including 856 in Uttar Pradesh East and West, 539 in Tamil Nadu, 466 in Andhra Pradesh, 337 in Madhya Pradesh, and 300 in the North East," he said.
He further said, “Deputy Superintendent of Police Ravi Kumar, Circle Inspector Surya Prakash, and the team travelled to Haryana and other parts of the country to arrest the accused.”