In a major breakthrough, Chunabhatti Police have dismantled a notorious gang that specialised in snatching mobile phones from pedestrians and selling them across state borders. The investigation has revealed an international angle, with the stolen phones being smuggled all the way to Bangladesh.
Police have seized 186 mobile phones worth over ₹30 lakh, and arrested eight accused. Six of them — Sachin Gaikwad, Tausif Siddiqui, Amar Shankar, Nisar Hussain, Sadiq Ali, and Mursid Siddiqui — were arrested from Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, while Pradeep Gupta and Ajijur Rehman were nabbed from Kolkata.
During interrogation, police learnt that two of the accused would regularly travel to Kolkata carrying stolen phones. They would hand them over to their associates there, after which the devices were sent to Bangladesh through courier networks.
A police officer revealed that the stolen phones fetched higher returns abroad. “A handset that sells for ₹8,000–10,000 in Mumbai could be sold for ₹12,000–15,000 in Bangladesh. This price difference made the racket highly lucrative,” the officer explained.
The gang mainly targeted pedestrians in crowded areas of the city, fleeing on motorcycles within seconds of the snatching. All eight arrested have past criminal records, and police believe the network is wider than currently exposed.
From the accused, police have recovered 183 stolen mobiles valued at ₹30.48 lakh. Investigators are now tracking the handlers and courier operatives who facilitated the cross-border smuggling. Authorities are also coordinating with agencies to curb the illegal trade route.
DCP (Zone 6) Sameer Shaikh said, “This crackdown is part of an intensified drive against organised street crime in Mumbai. We will continue to dismantle such networks.”