Noida Police Bust Interstate Smartphone Theft Syndicate, Recover 821 High-End Mobiles Worth Up to ₹8 Crore
In a breakthrough against organised street crime, Noida Police have dismantled an interstate mobile phone theft racket, arresting six adult gang members and apprehending two juveniles, while recovering 821 stolen smartphones valued between ₹6 crore and ₹8 crore, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The operation unfolded during routine vehicle and identity checks in Kakrala village, an area under the Noida Phase 2 police station limits.
Acting on prior intelligence inputs, police teams intercepted suspicious individuals and uncovered a massive cache of premium mobile phones hidden with the gang.
Targeting Crowds, Jackets, and Costly Phones
Investigations revealed that the gang had been systematically targeting crowded public spaces across the National Capital Region, including local markets, vegetable mandis, fruit markets, and weekly bazaars.
The thefts were concentrated during the winter months, when people often keep phones in jacket pockets—making them easier targets.
Operating in coordinated groups, the accused exploited moments of distraction. Police said that if any gang member sensed risk, the stolen phone was immediately passed on to another accomplice to prevent recovery on the spot, a tactic that helped them evade capture for months.
From NCR to Nepal: The Smuggling Trail
Once a sizeable stock of stolen devices was accumulated, the gang allegedly travelled by train to Jharkhand and Bihar, the home states of most members. From there, the phones were transported to Nepal every two to three months, where they were sold through informal channels, police said.
Notably, the recovery shows a clear preference for premium brands.
“Most of the seized phones are OnePlus devices, followed by iPhones, which indicates that the gang deliberately targeted expensive smartphones for higher resale value,” said Shakti Mohan Awasthi, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central).
Who Are the Accused?
The arrested accused have been identified as:
- Govinda Mahto (32)
- Rohit Saini (20)
- Shyam Kumar Rai (23)
- Bhartiya Mahto (35)
- Shekhar (25)
- Pradeep Kumar (32)
Two juveniles were also taken into custody in accordance with juvenile justice procedures.
Police said several of the accused are originally from Jharkhand and Bihar, and were currently living in the Bisrakh area of Noida.
Records indicate stark educational disparities within the group—two accused studied up to Class 12, while the remaining accused and the juveniles are illiterate.
Repeat Offenders, Fresh Charges
According to police records, both the adult accused and the juveniles were already named in multiple cases registered at the Phase 2 police station.
Fresh cases have now been filed under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and further investigations are underway to trace buyers, transport links, and possible handlers operating across state and international borders.
Police officials said efforts are also being made to identify the original owners of the recovered phones and return the devices after due verification.
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