New Delhi, Jan 9 (PTI) Delhi Police have busted an inter-state syndicate involved in the theft and illegal trade of mobile tower equipment, with the recovery of 130 high-value Radio Remote Units (RRUs) worth around Rs 2 crore, an official said on Friday.
The accused, identified as Aftab alias Rehan (28), was arrested, while his associate Rabanwaz (40) was bound down, he said.
Police said the recovery has helped them work out at least 60 cases of mobile tower equipment theft reported across multiple states.
RRUs are critical components installed on mobile towers, and their theft leads to major service disruptions and financial losses to telecom operators, as fresh equipment has to be installed to restore connectivity.
“Our teams got information that stolen equipment was being brought to Delhi’s Trans-Yamuna area, which was being used as a storage and transit hub. After sustained surveillance and technical analysis, police identified a syndicate involved in sourcing stolen RRUs from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan,” the officer said.
On December 26, following specific inputs, a Crime Branch team intercepted a vehicle near Dhaula Kuan and recovered 130 RRUs that were being transported for export.
The equipment was allegedly being shipped to Dubai through a transporter based in Mahipalpur after being falsely declared as scrap goods, police said.
“During interrogation, the accused revealed that the stolen RRUs were purchased for about Rs 90,000 per unit and packed using forged invoices for customs clearance. Sixty RRUs were identified by a telecom company, and further investigation is underway to trace the ownership of the remaining equipment,” the officer said. PTI BM BM HIG HIG
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