Inside the Cross-Border Mobile Phone Smuggling Racket

Delhi Police dismantled an interstate gang smuggling stolen mobile phones to Bangladesh. Eight members, part of a well-coordinated network, were arrested, and 294 phones worth Rs 50 lakh seized. The gang took advantage of the CEIR portal blocking IMEI numbers, making phones unusable in India.

Delhi Police have cracked down on an interstate gang involved in the smuggling of stolen mobile phones to Bangladesh, arresting eight members, officials announced on Thursday.

Authorities say the suspects were part of an organized network that routed stolen phones from pickpockets and thieves operating in DTC buses in the capital to Bangladesh with the assistance of collaborators stationed near the border.

Police seized 294 mobile phones worth an estimated Rs 50 lakh. Technical surveillance and field intelligence revealed the international smuggling operation, officials said, highlighting the challenges posed by IMEI blocking by India's CEIR portal.

(With inputs from agencies.)