Cops bust syndicate smuggling stolen phones to Nepal, B’desh

New Delhi: The Delhi Police’s Special Task Force (STF) has dismantled an international syndicate involved in trafficking and smuggling of snatched and robbed mobile phones to Nepal and Bangladesh.

An anonymous source tipped the Special Task Force of the Delhi Police about the smugglers.

The accused were identified Motahar sekh (33) son of Borrak Ali resident of Sharaha, Gopalganj, Malda, West Bengal, Gulu Sekh (33) son of Bhabu Sekh, and Abdul Shamim (22) son of Borrak Ali, all were residents of Malda District, West Bengal.

According to the police, they have arrested three West Bengal-based members, including the kingpin, near Waste to Wonder Park, Sarai Kale Khan, on September 2. Authorities seized 228 high-end stolen mobile phones worth nearly Rs 1 crore, along with three country-made pistols and six live cartridges.

The arrests have significantly dented the network that fuels Delhi’s street crimes such as snatching and robbery. “This operation has broken the back of a racket that not only abetted local crimes but also pushed the stolen devices into illegal cross-border markets,” officials said.

The syndicate operated by buying stolen mobile phones at throwaway prices from local robbers in Delhi and quickly moving them out of the city to avoid detection.

The devices were then transported to West Bengal, modified, and smuggled across the borders into Nepal and Bangladesh, where they fetched far higher prices. Phones bought in Delhi for 5,000–30,000 rupees each were later sold for 20,000–60,000 rupees depending on brand and condition.

Police identified the arrested kingpin as Motahar Shekh and his associates, Gulu Shekh, and Abdul Shamim. Investigators revealed that Motahar had been running the racket since 2020.

Initially working as a carrier for other smugglers, he eventually set up his own network, recruiting associates to move consignments out of Delhi. Over the last five years, the syndicate is believed to have trafficked more than one lakh stolen phones.

The STF acted on specific intelligence that the trio was preparing to flee to West Bengal with a large consignment of stolen mobile phones.

A team led by Inspectors Shiv Kumar and Pramod Chauhan, under the supervision of ACP Operations Dalip Singh, laid a trap at Sarai Kale Khan. At 7:15 pm, the suspects were intercepted while approaching from the ISBT side. Police recovered three bags filled with mobile phones during the search, along with firearms.

A case under the Arms Act has been registered at Sunlight Colony Police Station, and the recovered devices have been seized under appropriate legal provisions. Further investigations are ongoing to track the syndicate’s forward and backward linkages, as police suspect the involvement of a

wider cross-border network.

During interrogation, the accused confessed that they provided instant cash to Delhi’s snatchers and robbers in exchange for stolen phones, thereby encouraging the rise in local street crimes.

By swiftly transporting the devices out of Delhi, the smugglers made it nearly impossible for authorities to trace them through technical surveillance.

Police said the operation is part of an ongoing crackdown on organized crime syndicates profiting from stolen mobile phones.

Officials believe dismantling such networks will curb both violent street crimes and the illegal flow of stolen devices into foreign markets.