Cellphones stolen from crowded places in Delhi, smuggled to Bangladesh: Police bust international syndicate, 1 arrested

Identified as Abdush, 24, the alleged smuggler was intercepted near Salimgarh Bypass in North Delhi’s Kotwali while attempting to flee with a consignment of stolen phones.

Officers said that Abdush is allegedly a key operative in the bigger network responsible for large-scale theft, smuggling, and illegal sale of mobile phones across international borders.

The Crime Branch was recently tipped off about several mobile theft syndicates operating in Delhi that target commuters at Metro stations, public buses, and crowded marketplaces across the city and smuggle the phones across the border to Nepal or Bangladesh, said police.

“The syndicate, which has been busted, ensured that stolen mobile phones are swiftly moved out of Delhi-NCR, making it difficult for law enforcement agencies to trace them. Once stolen, the mobile phones were never sold or used locally to avoid detection. Instead, they were immediately collected by smugglers, who purchased them at a nominal price of Rs 2,000-3,000 per device,” said DCP (Crime Branch) Aditya Gautam.

“These smugglers then transported bulk consignments to West Bengal, where the phones underwent modification before being dispatched to Bangladesh. These phones were then sold for Rs 8,000-10,000 each in the illegal markets across borders,” he added.

Investigators used a combination of human intelligence, surveillance footage, and digital tracking to trace the key players in the syndicate.

After weeks of monitoring, police received intelligence that Abdush was attempting to transport a large consignment of stolen phones to West Bengal, said officials. Acting swiftly, a team laid a trap at Salimgarh Bypass. When Abdush allegedly sensed police presence and tried to escape, he was swiftly overpowered, according to police.

Upon searching his backpack, officials recovered 48 stolen mobile phones. He was immediately taken into custody, and the mobile phones were seized as evidence.

During interrogation, Abdush allegedly admitted to being involved in smuggling stolen mobile phones for the past 1.5 years.

“(Abdush) revealed that he was struggling with financial difficulties. In search of easy earnings, he got involved in illegal activities in 2023. Initially, he was engaged in the scrap trading of mobile phone parts and during this period, he came in contact with Sameer and Salim, the
key players in the stolen mobile phone trade,” said DCP Gautam.

“Seeing an opportunity for quick profits, he started purchasing stolen mobile phones from them at significantly low prices. He then sold these devices in the local markets of West Bengal and smuggled them into Bangladesh. He further admitted to having smuggled more than 800 stolen phones from Delhi to West Bengal in the past one-and-a-half years,” he added.

Following Abdush’s arrest, police are now focusing on identifying his associates, including the key players Sameer and Salim, and tracking down the larger network involved in this illegal trade, said officials.