Cops bust international mobile theft racket, 1 arrested

The Delhi police arrested a key suspect involved in an international racket dealing in stolen mobile phones, officials said on Sunday.

The accused, identified as Nadeem (45), a resident of Champawat, Uttarakhand, was allegedly smuggling high-end mobile phones to Nepal after procuring them from snatchers and thieves operating in Delhi.

The arrest was made on March 12 at ISBT Anand Vihar, where Nadeem was apprehended while attempting to board a bus to Nepal.

"Based on specific intelligence, we identified Nadeem’s movements and laid a trap at ISBT Anand Vihar. He was caught red-handed with 32 high-end mobile phones," an official said.

During interrogation, police discovered that Nadeem, who runs a grocery shop in Champawat, had been transporting stolen mobile phones to Nepal for the past four-five months. His proximity to the Nepal border (7 km from his home) allowed him to frequently cross over, the official added.

DCP (Crime Branch), Vikram Singh, said Nadeem was working for a Nepal-based associate, Narender Bhat, a bus conductor in Dhankadi, Nepal. "Bhat had been in touch with Nadeem for the last few years. Due to financial difficulties, Nadeem agreed to transport stolen phones from Delhi to Nepal for Rs 200 per device, along with travel expenses," the DCP added.

Nadeem reportedly collected mobile phones from Karol Bagh and other areas in Delhi before handing them over to Bhat. "He made multiple trips to Delhi to pick up phones, unaware that he was being tracked by our team," the officer stated.

So far, six of the recovered mobile phones have been traced to FIRs registered across multiple Delhi police stations. "Investigations are ongoing to trace the remaining stolen devices and identify other members of this network," the official added.