New Delhi, Sep 21 A 36-year-old Rapido rider-cum stolen mobile dealer was arrested, and a pistol and two live cartridges were seized from his possession in Seemapuri in north-west Delhi.
The accused was identified as Saleem Khan, a resident of Old Mustafabad.
The police have also recovered 11 mobile phones from the possession of the accused.
In a major crackdown on mobile phone thefts in the national capital, ER-II team of the Crime Branch, Delhi, gathered secret information about the accused with technical assistance.
The police found that Khan was actively involved in purchasing stolen mobile phones from pickpockets operating in the Delhi Metro and other public transport systems.
A team led by Inspector Sunil Kumar Kundu under the close supervision of ACP Kailash Chander ER-II, arrested Khan under the Arms Act, said Vikram Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch.
During interrogation, Khan disclosed that pickpockets would steal phones from commuters in the Delhi Metro and local buses and sell them to him. Later, Khan used to sell stolen phones to a person named Wasim, who would determine the price and final buyers, the police said in a statement.
This highlights the organised network involved in mobile theft, from the initial theft to the end user, via intermediaries.
The accused said that he used to carry a country-made pistol for his own safety. The police shared that Khan, on Friday, collected 11 stolen mobile phones from Wasim in DLF Bhopura, UP.
The accused was arrested while he was returning home and awaiting delivery instructions, the police said.
Further investigation is underway to identify and apprehend the remaining members of the organised crime module.
The recovered mobile phones are being traced through IMEI searches, and efforts are underway to return them to their rightful owner.
Khan was previously involved in an NDPS case in Noida (Uttar Pradesh), the police statement said.
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