New Delhi, Jun 3 (IANS): With the arrest of seven persons, including a Nepalese national, Delhi Police have busted a gang of mobile phone thieves who used to steal cellphones from here and smuggle them to Nepal.
A total of 311 high-end cellphones worth Rs 60 lakh, including 90 iPhones, were recovered from their possession, a police officer said on Sunday.
"The accused, identified as Rohit (23), Naresh Kumar (27), Rajan (28), Naresh (30), Gopal Pathak (31), Mukesh (38) and Ram Singh (58), are residents of different areas in Central and East Delhi. They were arrested from their shops and residents following separate raids conducted on Saturday and Sunday," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rajesh Deo.
"As many as 211 mobile phones were recovered from Naresh Kumar's possession after a Crime Branch team headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Jasbir Singh and Inspector Gurmeet Singh raided his residence in Karol Bagh following a tip-off. Naresh used to purchase stolen mobile phones and send them to Nepal with the help of Ram Singh, a native of Nepal, to avoid IMEI tracing," the DCP said.
"Based on the information provided by Naresh, the police succeeded in arresting the other six accused," he said.
According to the police, it was Ram Singh who told the gang members that there was huge demand for iPhones and other high-end phones in Nepal. He was the man who used to arrange the selling of the stolen cellphones in Nepal at a reduced price than the original cost.
"Ram Singh was a salaried employee of the gang in Delhi who used to coordinate the movement of the stolen phones from the capital to Nepal. He used to also facilitate payments for the stolen phones via illegal channels of monetary transaction," Deo said.
"The majority of the accused used to repair mobile phones in Gaffar Market in Karol Bagh. But after regular raids by the police and the drop in prices of mobile phones, their job slowed down, following which they set up the gang and started smuggling high-end cellphones," the DCP said.
The gang members were active in Mangopuri and other crowded markets in east Delhi, the police said.
"The gang members were also in touch with pickpockets, robbers and drug addicts whom they paid good commissions in exchange of stolen mobile phones. A hunt is on to nab them too," the police said.