Noida: Mobile tower equipment stealing gang busted; 6 held

The suspects were apprehended near the power station in D Block, under Phase-2 jurisdiction, following intelligence inputs

NOIDA: The Noida police on Tuesday arrested six people allegedly involved in stealing remote radio units (RRUs) from mobile towers in the national capital region (NCR) as it busted the gang, officers said, adding that two stolen RRUs, two vehicles, and three illegal knives were also recovered from their possession.

To avoid detection, the suspects frequently changed locations and used WhatsApp calls to communicate, ensuring they couldn’t be tracked. (HT Photo)

Police identified the suspects as Shanu, 19; Ankit Kumar, 20; Raj Meena, 19; Sahil Saifi, 20; Ayansh alias Prashu, 19; and Naeem Malik, 24, saying that all of them are habitual offenders and belong to different states but they were residing in Gautam Budh Nagar.

The suspects, aged between 19 and 24, involved people having studied between Class 9 and graduation. They were apprehended near the power station in D Block, under Phase-2 jurisdiction, following intelligence inputs, officers said.

“They used rented taxis to scout potential gadgets, specifically mobile towers which were not being guarded. Once a target was identified, the group would use specialised tools such as cable cutters, wrenches, and screwdrivers to dismantle and steal expensive equipment, including RRUs,” said Shakti Mohan Awasthi, deputy commissioner of police, Central Noida.

The stolen items were later sold by them to a man, identified as Nadeem, in Meerut. One stolen RRU is estimated to cost around ₹8-10 lakh, police said.

“To avoid detection, they frequently changed locations and used WhatsApp calls to communicate, ensuring they couldn’t be tracked. To evade suspicion during reconnaissance, they posed as taxi passengers. Police recovered two cars —a Santro with registration number (UP-11L-9180) and a Swift (UP-16KT-2410)—used in the crimes, along with three illegal knives,” officers said.

A case has been registered under Sections 303(2) (theft), 317(5) (assisting in concealment of stolen property) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and under Arms Act at Phase 2 police station. Efforts are underway to gather information about the suspects’ previous criminal record, they added.