Three held in Gurugram’s Nuh for selling stolen phones to cyber fraudsters

The suspects not only committed cyber fraud themselves but also supplied stolen mobile phones to other cybercriminals, said the police

Three people were arrested in Nuh on Saturday for providing stolen mobile phones to cyber criminals and engaging in fraudulent activities using fake SIM cards and bank accounts, police officers aware of the matter said on Sunday, adding that they recovered 36 stolen mobile phones and eight SIM cards from the suspects.

The suspects were identified as Sarfaraz Khan, Aaqib Khan, and Tarif Mohammad, all residents of Jakhopur village of Nuh, said police. The police recovered 36 stolen mobile phones and eight SIM cards from the suspects. (HT Photo)

The suspects were identified as Sarfaraz Khan, Aaqib Khan, and Tarif Mohammad, all residents of Jakhopur village of Nuh, said police.

Narender Bijarniya, superintendent of police, said that the police team discovered evidence indicating that these suspects not only committed cyber fraud themselves but also supplied stolen mobile phones to other cybercriminals to commit fraud and dupe people across the country. “The suspects would sell stolen or snatched mobile phones to gangs involved in cyber fraud cases in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan,” he said.

Sandeep Mor, in charge of the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA), Punhana, said they received a tip about the suspects while patrolling near the Punhana bus stand on Saturday. “Our information indicated that the three suspects were present at Jurhera crossing, looking for potential buyers of mobile phones. We conducted a raid, resulting in the arrest of all three suspects. Sarfaraz Khan was arrested with seven mobile phones and three SIM cards. Aaqib had eleven mobile phones and three SIM cards in his possession, and Tarif had eighteen mobile phones and two SIM cards,” he said.

The suspects would buy stolen and snatched mobile phones from places in Rajasthan, such as Jurhera, Kama, and Bharatpur at low prices. “They would sell these phones to cyber criminals at inflated prices, who would then use them to commit online fraud. Aaqib and Sarfaraz were also involved in online cyber fraud, creating fake social media accounts using stolen phones and SIM cards,” he said.

The police discovered Facebook and WhatsApp accounts under assumed identities on the suspects’ mobile phones. The mobile phones’ images gallery included photos of vehicles, Google Pay, Instagram, and OLX apps. Photos of soldiers, PAN cards, Aadhar cards from other people, vehicles, QR scanners, and Natraj pencils were also found in the phones’ galleries.

The suspects were produced before a court on Saturday and were sent to 14 days in judicial custody, said officers.

Bijarniya said they have recovered additional information about other gang members and will inform police teams from other states.