​Delhi Police busts international racket smuggling stolen high-end phones to Bangladesh; four held

New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) The Delhi Police has arrested four men for allegedly smuggling stolen and snatched high-end mobile phones to Bangladesh via Kolkata, officials said on Tuesday.

The arrested accused are members of an international smuggling network. Police recovered 116 mobile handsets during the operation.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Nidhin Valsan said the racket was unearthed following an investigation into a mobile phone stantching case registered at Patel Nagar earlier this month.

The accused acted as receivers and facilitators. They procured stolen phones, bypassed security locks using specialised software and sent the devices across the border for illegal profits.

"The accused used advanced mobile unlocking tools and foreign software to remove security features, including iCloud locks for iphones. In several cases, stolen SIM cards were used to send deceptive messages to victims, falsely claiming that their phones had been recovered at authorised stores. This induced the victims to remove iCloud IDs, making the devices easier to resell," the officer said during a press conference.

The alleged mastermind, Sameer (28), allegedly charged up to Rs 1,500 per handset for illegally unlocking. He was assisted by Salman (28), Dilshad Yasin Kureshi (33) and Ayaan (28). All four are residents of northeast Delhi.

The accused allegedly coordinated with thieves and snatchers operating across multiple districts of the city. Once unlocked, the phones were packed and transported through middlemen to Kolkata, before being smuggled into Bangladesh, where they fetched higher prices.

During searches conducted at the instance of the accused, teams recovered 116 expensive mobile phones of various brands.

The investigation involved scanning more than 100 CCTV cameras, extensive technical surveillance and the use of human intelligence. The officials said 42 cases of snatching and theft across central, north, east, west and northeast districts of Delhi have been worked out with their arrest.

All four accused were previously involved in multiple criminal cases, including one linked to a murder, they added. PTI BM AKY