Ethernet cards worth ₹1 crore missing in Powai; 3 held

Three persons arrested for stealing ethernet cards worth over ₹1 crore from Chandivali, Powai. Two accused stole the cards, while the third bought one of the stolen items. The police are investigating the buyers as well.

Mumbai: Three persons were arrested this week for their alleged role in stealing four ethernet cards worth more than ₹1 crore from Chandivali, Powai.

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While two accused, identified as Dinesh Saroj, 36, and Ajay Saroj, 22, both residents of Mankhurd, stole the cards, the third accused, identified as Tabrez Sheikh, a resident of Mahim, bought one of the stolen items.

According to the police, after receiving several complaints regarding disruption in their services, a mobile phone service provider checked their data centre in Chandivali, Powai, earlier this month only to realise that four ethernet cards from their routers were missing.

“After discovering that the ethernet cards were missing, the manager of the Delhi-based company checked the CCTV footage of the server room only to find that two electricians who had come for some wiring work on May 31 had stolen the cards. An FIR was registered on August 10,” an officer from Powai police station said.

“The two main accused, Dinesh and Ajay, were hired by the company that provided services on contract,” the officer said, adding that the police apprehended the duo a day after the complaint was made.

The officer added that the CCTV footage of the duo in the act of stealing helped in getting the two men to cooperate in further investigation. “They told us they had put up the cards on an e-commerce website for sale for a much lower price. The two buyers who approached them are also being investigated as they bought the cards despite knowing that such low prices would point to illegal means for the sellers to have them,” said the officer.

The police are still investigating the buyer from New Delhi. The three accused will be produced in court on Saturday and are in police custody currently.