The Crime Branch Unit-6 of the Mumbai Police has busted a syndicate and arrested five people involved in purchasing stolen, snatched, and pickpocketed expensive mobile phones from thieves across various cities in India, including Mumbai. They would then alter the phones' IMEI numbers and sell them in their electronic shop.
The arrested individuals have been identified as the main accused Asif Abdul Gafur Shah, Mairaj Anees Ahmed Sheikh alias Raja, Raza Anees Ahmed Sheikh, Tausif Ayub Siddiqui, and Jahangir Mohammed Zahid. Sources suggest that the main accused, Asif, is the son of a politician. The Crime Branch has recovered 162 mobile phones and a laptop from them, worth approximately Rs 16 lakhs.
According to the information received, the Crime Branch got a tip-off that Asif Shah, residing in the Kamla Ramnagar area of Govandi, was buying expensive mobile phones stolen from various cities, including Mumbai, at cheap rates. He would then illegally change their IMEI numbers with the help of a laptop and sell them in his electronic shop, making them appear as legal phones.
The Crime Branch conducted a late-night raid and caught Asif and his accomplices red-handed while they were altering IMEI numbers. Sources revealed that this gang had been running this business for many years and had faced police action before. The Crime Branch is currently interrogating all the criminals under remand to find out how many phones they bought, from which cities and states, and how many stolen phones they have sold so far.