07 September,2026 04:35 PM IST | Mumbai | Abhitash Singh
The total value of the recovered property has been estimated at around Rs 44.78 lakh, police said. Pic/Mumbai Police
Mumbai Police have busted an alleged inter-state gang involved in buying stolen iPhones, removing security locks and selling or smuggling the devices to other parts of India and overseas, officials said on Monday.
According to the police, the Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Marg (MRA Marg) Police arrested four people during the investigation and recovered 64 stolen iPhones and several dismantled handset parts.
The investigation began after an iPhone theft case was reported at MRA Marg Police Station in May 2026.
Using technical surveillance, investigators traced a SIM card that had been used in the stolen phone. The trail led police to a suspect, from whom they recovered 21 stolen iPhones and 12 SIM cards.
Further investigation allegedly exposed a wider network sourcing stolen iPhones from different parts of Maharashtra and other states.
The police said that the gang followed two methods to make money from the stolen devices.
In some cases, the accused allegedly removed the original Apple IDs and prepared the phones for resale in other states and foreign markets.
When the security lock could not be removed, the phones were reportedly dismantled and sold as spare parts. These included displays, batteries, motherboards, logic boards and chassis.
Police said they recovered 64 stolen iPhones along with 20 dismantled handset chassis containing various components.
The total value of the recovered property has been estimated at around Rs 44.78 lakh.
The investigation has also helped police link the alleged racket to phone theft cases across several states.
Police said the operation helped solve 19 cases in Maharashtra and Mumbai, 11 in Telangana, three in Delhi, two in Karnataka, and one each in Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand.
The investigation is continuing to identify other people allegedly involved in the network and trace the source and destination of the stolen devices, officials said.
