In recent years, there has been a surge in mobile phone thefts on suburban local trains in Mumbai, with an average of 35 phones stolen every day. In 2024 alone, 11,000 mobile phones were stolen from passengers travelling on local trains. In the first five months of the current year, 3,500 phones have already been reported stolen. To tackle the rising number of thefts, the Railway Police have launched a special drive to trace mobile phones stolen in the past five years.
Taking advantage of the overcrowding on trains, thieves are increasingly targeting passengers. Lakhs of commuters travel daily on Mumbai’s Central, Western, and Harbour lines, where thieves take the opportunity to steal phones. In 2024, a total of 11,143 mobile phones were stolen from local trains—an average of about 950 phones per month or 30 per day. From January to May this year, 3,576 phones were stolen, averaging more than 700 per month.
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While thefts continue to rise, the detection and recovery rate remain low. Of the 11,143 theft cases in 2024, only 5,162 have been solved. Similarly, out of the 3,576 thefts reported so far this year, just 1,473 cases have been resolved, showing a detection rate of barely 50%.
In response, the Railway Police have launched a special operation. Under this initiative, each railway police station’s Crime Branch team will conduct technical investigations to trace and recover mobile phones stolen over the past five years. Railway Police Commissioner Rakesh Kalasagar stated that strict action will be taken against gangs involved in mobile phone theft.