Over 300 stolen mobile phones worth Rs 60 lakh seized; 7 held

Seven persons have been arrested after more than 300 stolen mobile phones worth Rs 60 lakh were seized from them, police said Sunday.

The accused have been identified as Naresh Kumar (30), Mukesh Kumar (38), Naresh Kumar (27), Rajan (28), Ram Singh (58), Gopal Pathak (31) and Rohit (23), they said.

According to police, the gang worked in a systematic manner. After stealing mobile phones, they used to hand them over to a middle man who then handed these phones to another person to be sent to Nepal.

The receiver in Nepal had a salaried employee in Delhi who coordinated the movements of the phones and would also facilitate the payment through illegal channels, Rajesh Deo, deputy commissioner of police (crime), said.

The gang was busted during an investigation into a complaint about snatching of mobile phones filed on May 25, he said.

The accused used to repair mobile phones at a shop in Gaffar Market, the DCP said.

In the last couple of years, there has been a rise in demand for used high-end mobile phones in Nepal and other neighbouring countries. As the IMEI search is restricted within India, it gave the accused a new channel to dispose the stolen phones, the officer said.

They used to transport the mobile phones via road, making use of the regular bus services between the two countries, the officer added.

In total, 311 mobile phones worth Rs 60 lakh have been seized from them, police said.

IMEI numbers and other details of the seized phones are being uploaded on Delhi Police website for the public to identify their phones.