Two held for selling phones with changed IMEI numbers

Codes were changed in Gaffar Market and phones sold in Uttarakhand

If your mobile phone gets stolen and you pin your hope its International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI) to trace its location, think twice.

The Delhi Police Crime Branch have arrested two men who allegedly changed the IMEI number of stolen high-end phones to avoid tracking before selling them in Uttarakhand.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav said the duo — Vipin Kumar (42) and Sudhir (38) — also sold some of these mobile phones in neighbouring Nepal, although keeping the IMEI numbers unchanged.

Vipin Kumar already has records at the Shahadra police station.

“We received information that Vipin Kumar purchased high-end stolen mobile phones and supplied them in Uttarakhand and Nepal. We started monitoring his activities closely,” said Mr. Yadav.

On Saturday, the police received a tip-off that Vipin would be going to ISBT Anand Vihar to deliver a consignment of stolen mobile phones to a buyer of stolen property. Based on this, a trap was laid and Vipin was arrested while handing over a bag to Sudhir.

Sudhir, a resident of Uttarakhand, was also arrested and the bag was seized from the two.

“The bag contained 35 high-end mobile phones,” said Mr. Yadav.

During interrogation, they revealed that Vipin used to buy stolen mobile phones from petty criminals in Jama Masjid.

“After procuring the stolen phones, Vipin would contact Sudhir, who runs a mobile phone shop at Udham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand and has contacts in Nepal as well. Sudhir would sell the mobile phones in Nepal and in Uttarakhand. Before selling the mobile phones in Uttarakhand, the two roped in another accomplice to get the IMEI numbers changed,” said Mr. Yadav.

These numbers, used to either locate or block the use of stolen phones, were changed in Gaffar Market — one of the biggest electronic and mobile phone markets in the Capital.