Jammu and Kashmir Police recovers stolen mobile phones worth about Rs 26 lakh, arrests 3

The Jammu and Kashmir Police have recovered stolen mobile phones worth about Rs 26 lakh and arrested three non-Kashmiri people during an investigation in the case, officials said on Friday.

On July 4, Mohammad Amir Malik a resident of Devi Angan Hawal in Srinagar lodged a report in Nowhatta Police Station of burglary in his shop. He said that during the intervening night of July 3-4 some unknown burglars barged into his shop and decamped with mobile phones worth lakhs of rupees. After this, an FIR was registered and an investigation was taken up.

During the course of investigation services of FSL unit as well as electronic surveillance unit was utilized. The tower dump of the area was analyzed and IMEI numbers of stolen mobile phones were put on surveillance for any lead in the case. An important clue emerged when a CCTV camera of a nearby shop recorded three suspected persons who seemed to be scrap collectors entering the mobile shop and leaving after some time with some sacks. On the basis of their CCTV footage, searches were carried out across the city in all areas with settlements of non-local scrap collectors.

After nearly two months one stolen mobile phone became active with user location at New Delhi and SDR was found as Abdul Razaq Sheikh, a resident of JJ Colony Bhawana in Delhi.

In order to investigate the matter a police party headed by an officer was deputed to Delhi and the accused was arrested on September 6. During questioning, the accused disclosed that he had hidden stolen mobile phones at his residence. On this disclosure of the accused police party recovered/seized 112 mobile phones along with their accessories from the spot.

The accused Abdul Razaq was later shifted from New Delhi to Srinagar and again questioned when he revealed names of his two associates--Mohammad Alamin Sheikh and Mohammad Jahangir Sheikh residents of Madanpur Khadar in Sarita Vihar and also disclosed that few mobile phones are still dumped in the rented house of Jahangir.

On this, a police party was deputed towards Harnag Anantnag for the arrest/recoveries. Both the accused were arrested and 11 stolen mobile sets were recovered/seized from the rented room of Mohammad Jahangir. In order to ascertain their modus operandi, all the burglars were put to sustained questioning during which they revealed that they used to recee their targets posing themselves as scrap collectors.