Man arrested for reselling stolen phones, 281 devices recovered

The Delhi Police have arrested a man involved in buying and reselling stolen mobile phones, an official said on Sunday. The police have seized 281 smartphones from the possession of the accused, identified as Javed Ali Saha (29), a resident of Jahangirpuri.

In a statement, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Bhisham Singh said, “The police team raided a mobile repair shop opposite Kushal Cinema in Jahangirpuri on the night of June 10 and caught Saha red-handed.”

During interrogation, Saha admitted to purchasing mobile phones from snatchers and petty thieves. He would then modify their body panels and internal parts to conceal their identity before reselling them, the statement said.

Police recovered 281 smartphones stored in bags and cartons on the premises. Of these, at least four were linked to FIRs registered at Adarsh Nagar and Bhalswa Dairy Police Stations. About 130 phones had verifiable IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers, while the remaining 151 were locked or powered off.

“The accused failed to provide ownership proof for the recovered items and was arrested. Further interrogation revealed that he had also distributed stolen devices to other vendors in the area,” the DCP said. Further investigation is underway, he added.