New Delhi: In a major breakthrough, the Delhi Police’s Rohini district Special Staff has busted a sophisticated interstate and international syndicate involved in the theft and trafficking of high-end mobile phones. Ten people, including two courier operators, have been arrested, while 325 stolen smartphones worth nearly ₹1 crore have been recovered.
According to police, the syndicate had established an elaborate network to smuggle stolen and snatched mobile phones from Delhi to Bangladesh through Kolkata, Malda and Murshidabad. Another route was allegedly used to transport the devices to Nepal via Uttar Pradesh. Investigators believe the racket had been active for nearly a year.
The investigation began after police noticed an unusually low recovery rate despite a rise in mobile theft and snatching cases in Rohini. Technical analysis revealed that many stolen phones were never reactivated on Indian networks, suggesting the involvement of an organised cross-border network. Police subsequently examined records of hundreds of habitual offenders, analysed courier data and used digital surveillance to crack the case.
The breakthrough came on June 19 with the arrest of three accused — Raja alias Raju, Karan and Govind — from whom 101 stolen phones were recovered. A courier receipt recovered during the operation led investigators to nearly 200 additional phones that had already been dispatched to Kolkata, exposing the larger network. Subsequent raids led to further arrests and recoveries.
Police later uncovered a rented flat in Rohini’s Avantika area that was allegedly being used as a warehouse to store, sort and dispatch stolen mobile phones through courier services. Two courier company operators were also arrested for allegedly facilitating the shipments. Investigators estimate that the syndicate may have trafficked between 10,000 and 12,000 stolen mobile phones over the past year.
Authorities said around 150 of the recovered phones have already been linked to registered cases of theft, robbery and snatching in Delhi, while verification of the remaining devices is underway. Further investigation is in progress to identify other members of the cross-border network.
