Nodia: Noida Police have arrested eight accused, including two minors, as part of a gang that stole mobile phones from crowded areas of Delhi-NCR and sold them as far away as Bihar, Jharkhand and Nepal. Police recovered a total of 821 expensive smartphones from the accused, estimated to be worth approximately ₹6 to ₹8 crore.
The accused have been identified as Govinda Mahato, resident of Bhagalpur, Bihar (32); Rohit Saini, Bisrakh, Noida (20); Shyam Kumar Rai, resident of Sahibganj, Jharkhand (23); Bhartiya Mahato, resident of Sahibganj, Jharkhand (35); Shekhar, Sahibganj, Jharkhand (25); and Pradeep Kumar, Sahibganj, Jharkhand (32). The identities of the two minors have not been revealed.
Probe revealed that this gang specifically targeted crowded public places such as metro stations, bus stands, weekly markets, railway stations, and fairs.
The accused would steal mobile phones from people’s pockets and bags. After stealing them, they would relocate within hours. The gang moved to different locations in Delhi-NCR every three months, staying in rented accommodations to collect stolen phones, before returning to their homes to avoid leaving any clues for the police.
According to police, the gang would come to Delhi-NCR from Jharkhand and Bihar for two to three months at a time. During this period, a large number of mobile phones were stolen and transported to Bihar and Jharkhand by train.
From there, the stolen phones were sent to Nepal, where they were sold at very low prices.
Each member of the gang had a specific role. Some stole mobile phones from crowds, while others collected and hid the stolen devices.
The minors in the gang monitored for suspicious activity and alerted other members if they spotted the police.
