Gang busted, 779 mobile phones seized

Ghaziabad, July 18 (IANS) A gang which stole mobile phones or bought old ones and sold them as new after changing their IMEI numbers has been busted here, police said on Tuesday, adding they had seized 779 mobile telephones.

Superintendent of Police Akash Tomar told the media that police also found tools and software the gang used in the crime.

When police raided their hideout, they found eight men engaged in changing the IMEI numbers.

A gang member said they bought a software from Gaffar Market in Delhi for Rs 10,000 which can remove the IMEI number of any mobile phone except those of Apple and Blackberry and install new ones.

Each such phone was then sold as new with a fresh and concocted IMEI number. The gang made Rs 7-8,000 on every phone sale.

"They had sold thousands of mobiles," Tomar said.

The gang members were identified as Chand Mohd, Akram, Kasif, Shanu, Gaurav, Manoj and Hari Om, all residents of Ghaziabad, and Afsar, a resident of Delhi.

Besides 779 mobile phones, the police seized two laptops, two data cables, two pen drives, a device containing software to remove and install IMEI number and a LED monitor.

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