Delhi Police smashes cross-border mobile smuggling racket, arrest three

The Delhi Police, with the arrest of three accused, including the kingpin, unearthed a racket in trafficking of the stolen and snatched mobile phones to neighbouring countries, officials said on Wednesday.

According to the police, following a tipoff, the trio, identified as Motahar Shekh (33), his brother Abdul Shamim (22), and their associate Mohammad Gulu Shekh (33), all from Malda, West Bengal, were intercepted from Sarai Kale Khan on Tuesday evening.

Advertisement

The police seized three country-made pistols, six live cartridges, and 228 high-end mobile phones from their possession.

During investigation, it came out that Motahar, who headed the network, sourced stolen phones at low prices from street criminals across Delhi and routed them through carriers and middlemen to Nepal and Bangladesh.

The devices, blocked in India through the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR), fetched up to 80% of market value abroad, where the IMEIs remain valid. “The gang was fueling street crime in Delhi by generating demand for stolen devices while simultaneously operating an illegal cross-border trade,” Hemant Tiwari, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast), said.

Adding to his statement, he said, “Malda has emerged as a hub for smuggling handsets to neighbouring countries, with networks spanning multiple states.”

The officer further mentioned, “The recovery of arms and ammunition suggested to us the gang was prepared to resist police action.”

This year, the team of Delhi Police made over 20 arrests linked to such rackets, seizing hundreds of devices mid-transit to Nepal and Bangladesh. In one case, 294 phones worth nearly ₹50 lakh were recovered, DCP Tiwari said.

The officer continued by stating, “While CEIR has curtailed the resale of stolen phones in Delhi, police said it has inadvertently pushed organised gangs into smuggling, creating a thriving black market across borders.”

Further investigations into this case are ongoing by the officers to trace local suppliers and international receivers, he asserted.