PUNE: The Vimantal police on Sunday arrested five members of a gang of thieves which used to descend upon live concerts held in metros across the country only to decamp with the participants’ high-end mobile phones.
The arrested accused have been identified as Asad Gulzar Mohamad, 32, from Delhi; Nizam Babu Kureshi, 35, from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh; Shahbaz Bhole Khan, 26, from Delhi; Rahul Liladhar Kangale, 30, from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh; and Nadeem Ibrahim Malik, 40, from Delhi.
Following complaints of high-end mobile theft from the Vh1 Supersonic Concert held at the Mahalaxmi lawns recently on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, senior police inspector Vilas Sonde of Vimantal police formed a flying squad under the supervision of Ravindra Dhavare to nab the accused. During a local patrol, the police zeroed in on a suspect who spilled the beans about his gang having flown from Delhi to steal high-end mobile phones at the Vh1 Supersonic Concert. The suspect revealed that the gang members were holed up in hotel ‘Milan’ near the Pune railway station immediately after which the police raided the said hotel and arrested the other four accused in the case, recovering a total 39 high-end mobile phones worth Rs28.40 lakh from them.
Senior police inspector Sonde said, “They would only target such live concerts organised in metros. They would take a flight from Delhi and land in the respective city ahead of the concert only to steal high-end mobile phones of the participants before fleeing.” Another police official said that the gang members were leading a lavish lifestyle with the moolah earned from selling the spoils of their crimes.
{{/usCountry}}Senior police inspector Sonde said, “They would only target such live concerts organised in metros. They would take a flight from Delhi and land in the respective city ahead of the concert only to steal high-end mobile phones of the participants before fleeing.” Another police official said that the gang members were leading a lavish lifestyle with the moolah earned from selling the spoils of their crimes.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier on Friday, the Vimantal police had also arrested one Prashant K Kumar from Shimoga in Karnataka for robbing a mobile phone from a participant at a Vh1 Supersonic concert. The Vimantal police recovered five mobiles worth Rs1.87 lakh from him. Effectively, the Vimantal police have recovered 44 high-end mobiles worth Rs30.27 lakh from the accused in both instances.