Delhi Police busts racket stealing, smuggling mobile tower equipment abroad; three held

New Delhi, Sep 4 (PTI) The Delhi Police has busted an interstate racket involved in stealing highly expensive mobile tower equipment and smuggling those abroad, with the arrest of three men with 30 remote radio units, an official said on Thursday.

Police claimed the racket had interstate as well as international links, as they smuggled the stolen equipment through cargo consignments.

"The gang was smuggling remote radio units (RRUs) and base band units (BBUs) to Hong Kong and then to China, where the equipment were sold at high prices," a senior police officer said.

According to police, Delhi residents Zahid (34), Chanderkant (24), and Sameer (26) were allegedly assisted by a mobile tower installation contractor in Rajasthan, who had the technical knowledge to detach the units from towers.

Acting on specific inputs, a police team arrested Zahid and Chanderkant following a raid at the New Jaffrabad on August 23. Ten stolen RRUs were recovered from them.

Investigations revealed that at least five of these units were linked to theft cases reported in Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan, police said.

Based on their disclosures, the police team carried out further raids and apprehended Sameer. At his instance, 20 more stolen RRUs were recovered from a cargo company in Mahipalpur, which was allegedly being used to send the equipment to Hong Kong disguised as amplifiers.

Police also seized tools used to test the stolen equipment.

"Verification with telecom nodal officers confirmed that at least 11 of the recovered units were linked to registered theft cases in Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh," said the officer.

Explaining the gang's modus operandi, police said the contractor's staff, familiar with the installation and removal of RRUs, used to steal the devices and supplied them to the accused.

The stolen equipment was then transported to Delhi on board interstate buses, particularly those of Rajasthan Roadways services. At the national capital, the stolen equipment was repacked and shipped abroad with fabricated documents, police said.

"The accused admitted that consignments were booked through cargo agents and later dispatched via international courier companies to Hong Kong. From there, the RRUs were sent further to China for sale," the senior police officer added.

Police said that Sameer was the key link to international buyers. He had travelled to Hong Kong, set up contacts and smuggled hundreds of RRUs abroad, earning between Rs 30,000 and Rs 50,000 per unit, they said.

Zahid and Chanderkant used to store, conceal, repack and test the stolen devices.

With their arrest, at least 16 RRU theft cases reported in Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have been worked out, said the officer. PTI BM BM SMV NSD NSD