Delhi Police busts phone theft syndicate; 4 arrested, 40 devices recovered

The Delhi Police has arrested four alleged members of a phone theft syndicate and recovered 40 smartphones, an official said on Thursday.

The accused allegedly used aluminium foil to wrap stolen iPhones immediately after theft to block signals and prevent tracking through “Find My iPhone” or remote locking. Afterwards, they took the devices to Ghaziabad and sold them in the grey market within hours, the official said.

Police received information that a gang involved in theft of high-end mobile phones has arrived in the city, which targets crowds at concerts, transport hubs and other busy public places, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Vikram Singh said.

Police intercepted a grey car near Yamuna Vihar Metro Station on Tuesday and arrested four men — Salman, 35, Imran, 28, Shahrukh, 32, and Wasim, 25, all residents of Ghaziabad, he said.

Police recovered 40 stolen phones from their possession, including iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 16 series, Samsung S24 Ultra and smartphones of other brands, Kumar said.

Some of the devices were stolen during the AP Dhillon concert on December 7, while some have been linked to cases registered at Prashant Vihar, Shahbad Dairy and IP Estate police stations.

During interrogation, Salman, the alleged kingpin, revealed that he formed the gang to maintain a lavish lifestyle. They operated in crowded areas, particularly music events, where people were likely to carry expensive phones, the DCP said.

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The accused have a history of involvement in multiple theft and snatching cases across Delhi. Several previous cases have been traced to Salman and Shahrukh.

Further investigation is underway to identify their associates and link the remaining recovered phones with registered cases.