Five arrested with stolen mobile phones worth ₹15L

A total of 162 smart phones of various makes and one laptop worth ₹15.88 lakh were recovered from the gang. They used to change the IMEI numbers of the phones using software and then send them to different states for resale

MUMBAI: Mumbai crime branch Unit 6 has arrested five accused who allegedly stole and robbed mobile phones in and around the city and sold the handsets after changing the IMEI numbers.

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The arrested accused are identified as Asif Abdul Gaffar, Mohamamd Tausif Ayub Siddhique, Mohammad Raja Anis Ahmed Shaikh, Mohammad Jahangir Mohamamd Jahid, all residents of Mankhurd and Govandi.

Officials of the Unit 6 got information that one Asif Abdul Gaffar who runs a mobile shop in Shivaji Nagar buys stolen or snatched phones with the help of his associates - Siddhaqui, Sheikh and Ansari - and the accused had hidden several stolen mobile phones at his residence in Shivaji Nagar. The police raided his residence on July 30 and found 87 purportedly stolen mobile phones, worth ₹9 lakh.

On questioning, the three associates of Gaffar confessed that they had kept several other stolen phones at Gaffar’s shop. A police officer then conducted search at his shop and found 75 more stolen mobile phones worth ₹6.64 lakh.