Hyderabad police uncover network smuggling stolen phones to Bangladesh

Hyderabad Police have uncovered an alleged network through which stolen mobile phones from Telangana and Madhya Pradesh were routed via Mumbai and Kolkata into Bangladesh. Police suspect multiple intermediaries were involved and are also verifying possible hawala transactions linked to the network.

HYDERABAD: Stolen mobile phones from Telangana and Madhya Pradesh were allegedly routed through an organised network in Mumbai and further smuggled into Bangladesh for disposal, Hyderabad Commissioner of Police, VC Sajjanar, said.

The network involved multiple intermediaries who collected stolen phones from different locations and moved them through Mumbai before sending them towards Bangladesh. The police identified Mumbai-based mobile-phone dealer Mohd Zahed Khan alias Raja Bhai as an alleged receiver and disposer of stolen devices.

---

Zahed, who had been involved in the used-mobile-phone business for several years, allegedly procured stolen phones through intermediaries operating in different States. It is suspected he handled around 400 to 500 mobile phones a month, including new, used, damaged and stolen devices and spare parts, said the Hyderabad CP.

The investigation allegedly revealed that stolen phones from Telangana, including those taken during a mobile-shop burglary in Khammam, were brought to Mumbai through intermediaries. Zahed allegedly collected the devices and routed them through his contacts for disposal.

The police said a Dhaka, Bangladesh native, identified as Kasim, allegedly played a key role in the international leg of the network. After the stolen phones were collected in Mumbai, they were allegedly packed into parcels and transported by road or bus towards Kolkata.

“From Kolkata, the phones were moved through waterways and taken into Bangladesh through unauthorised routes. Kasim allegedly facilitated the onward transportation and disposal of the devices in Bangladesh in return for a commission,” said VC Sajjanar.

The police said that in some cases, associates of Kasim allegedly collected the phones directly from Zahed in Mumbai and arranged their onward movement. A Mumbai-based associate, Kalu, is also allegedly linked to the transportation and disposal network.

Police are also verifying suspected hawala transactions connected with the movement and sale of the stolen phones. The police suspect that the international routing of the devices through multiple intermediaries was intended to make their origin difficult to trace, including through their IMEI numbers. The investigation into the network and the absconding members, including the Dhaka native, is continuing.