Maharashtra: In a major breakthrough, Nashik City Police on Tuesday afternoon arrested three young men and detained a minor in connection with a series of mobile phone thefts. A total of 25 stolen mobile phones and a motorcycle used in the crimes were recovered. The combined value of the seized items is estimated to be Rs 10 lakh.
The action was initiated following an investigation into a theft reported on Saturday at the Gangapur Police Station. According to the complaint, a man was walking from Siddharthnagar to Anandnagar when two bike-borne individuals snatched his mobile phone worth Rs 50,000 and fled, as reported by The Times Of India.
During the probe, Crime Branch Unit 1 received a tip-off that the complainant’s phone was in possession of three suspects, who were expected to arrive in Anandwali to sell it. A trap was laid, and the suspects were apprehended. Six mobile phones and the motorcycle they were using were recovered from them.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Vicky Kale (22), Rutik Hirey (24), and Shubham Ingle (21). During interrogation, the trio confessed to stealing all six phones from different parts of the city.
The senior police inspector Madhukar Kad mentioned, "They were carrying out the thefts over the past two months in Ambad and Satpur MIDCs, Kamgar Nagar, College Road, and Gangapur Road. The criminals targeted pedestrians talking on their cellphones," as reported.
The trio also revealed that they would hand over the stolen phones to a minor boy in Satpur, who would then sell them. Acting on this lead, police detained the minor and recovered 19 additional stolen mobile phones from him.
