25-year-old held for stealing phones in Mumbai, selling them in Bangkok

The accused, who has been in the business for the past five years, has been arrested only once

The Mumbai crime branch last week arrested a 25-year-old for allegedly stealing mobile phones from local trains and selling them in Thailand.

The accused, who has been in the business for the past five years, has been arrested only once (HT Pic for Representation)

According to the police, the accused, Noorulla Ehesanulla Khan, lives with his parents, wife and a son in Agripada. “We received a tip-off that a man will pick up a consignment of stolen phones from Maratha Mandir fly abroad the same night with it. We then laid a trap and caught him. During the investigation, the accused confessed to the crime,” said an officer.

Khan ran a gang of mobile thieves and also had tie-ups with other gangs, which gave him 40% share of the loot.

The accused, who has been in the business for the past five years, has been arrested only once.

“Khan has been using this modus operandi for the past three years. After his arrest, he promised his wife he would stop stealing and started working at mobile repair shop. He worked there for a year, after which he formed a gang to steal mobile phones,” said the officer.

“The accused would sell the phones in Bangkok and would buy electronic items in return. He would then sell the gadgets in the city,” he said.

The police have, so far, recovered 25 mobile phones, of which two were stolen from Kurla and Andheri.

The accused has been booked under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code and Bombay police Act, and he was produced in court and has been remanded in police custody.