Mumbai: Crime branch unearths stolen phones selling racket, two held

The arrested duo, Fiyaz Sheikh (R) and Mehboob Khan in police custody.

In a major breakthrough, Mumbai Police's crime branch arrested two people and recovered around 490 smartphones, 9.590kg ganja, 174 bottles of liquor and 2 swords from the Mankhurd area, the police said on Friday. According to police, the accused arrested used to allegedly buy stolen phones and sell them in other states of the country.

In June 2022, a Crime Branch Unit 6 constable Sambhaji Kolekar received a tip-off that a person staying in Maharashtra Nagar buys stolen or lost smartphones. Inspector Ravindra Salunkhe, Incharge of Unit 6 of Mumbai crime branch formed a team to verify the tip off and understand the modus operandi of the person.

On 15th July, the team raided a house and recovered smartphones including 41 iPhones, 174 bottles of country made and foreign liquor, a laptop and 2 swords, The total value of the seized property amounts to Rs 74.78 Lakh. The officials have also nabbed two accused, who were identified as Mehboob Khan (37) and Fiyaz Akbar Sheikh (31), the police said.

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"The investigations revealed that the accused used to buy phones and their associates would allegedly alter the IMEI numbers of the phone. Later, the phones were packed and sold in other states of the country. It is suspected that the racket has been going on for months," said Inspector Ravindra Salunkhe, In charge of Unit 6.

According to the primary interrogation of the accused, the mobile phones used to buy in one third the price of its market value and would sell at a good price. , a police official said.

The accused was produced in Magistrate court on Saturday which has remanded both the accused till 20th July, the police said.