The average mobile thief is not so average anymore, they are stripping your phone and selling it for parts — leaving no trace
Phones are dismantled and individual parts are now being sold. REPRESENTATIONAL PICS/SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
An unsettling reality is emerging behind the mystery of missing premium smartphones. Despite being registered on the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal, many high-end devices are never recovered, with a new modus operandi that seems impenetrable.
Selling parts for the win
Experts reveal that earlier, thieves would sell stolen phones at throwaway prices. But the thieves have smartened up and instead of selling complete devices, stolen premium smartphones are now dismantled, and their individual components sold off. Today, smartphones are in every hand, and snatching it from the hand means easy money. Selling off parts is not only earning them higher profits, but has drastically reduced the possibility of the thieves being traced.
Individual mobile phone parts are not traceable since the complete devices are linked to IMEI numbers. As a result, while low-cost phones are still being recovered through the CEIR system, expensive smartphones, especially iPhones, often vanish without a trace.
What’s the cost?
A ground investigation by Sunday mid-day found that the display (LCD/OLED) is the costliest, accounting for nearly 50 per cent of a phone’s total value.
iPhone Pro 17
(Approx. Rs 1.55 lakh)
Display: Rs 50,000 – Rs 55,000 (black market) | Rs 67,000 (service centre)
Motherboard: Rs 50,000
Camera: Rs 4,000 – Rs 5,000
Storage: Rs 8,000 – Rs 10,000
*At the service centre, these parts are typically Rs 10,000 – Rs 15,000 costlier
Samsung Fold Series
(Approx. Rs 1.5 lakh)
Black market resale: Rs 1.15 lakh
Inner Display: Rs 50,000 | Rs 62,000 (service centre)
Outer Display: Rs 15,000 | Rs 18,500 (service centre)
Camera/Lens: Rs 4,000 - Rs 5,000
Body: Rs 22,000 – Rs 25,000
The price gap and the availability of “original” parts have led many consumers to prefer black-market purchases.
Parts hard to trace
Once dismantled, individual parts cannot be traced. No IMEI linkage remains; components are easily resold. The removal of key components like the CPU or motherboard makes a phone virtually untraceable.
A single company alone facilitates transactions worth over Rs 50 lakh worth of second-hand and damaged phones using online platforms.
Stolen phones are sent abroad, particularly to countries like China and other countries, where their IMEI numbers are altered. They are then reintroduced into India’s second-hand market.
What can you do?
>> Enable location tracking and keep it switched on at all times
>> Activate “Find My Device” and ensure it is properly configured
>> Use strong screen locks and biometric recognition
>> Avoid keeping phones unattended in public places
>> Act immediately if the phone is lost — do not delay
What can the government do?
>> Mandate eSIM support in all smartphones sold in India
>> Encourage or require low-power Bluetooth tracking standards in Android devices
>> Introduce regulations for secure shutdown mechanisms (password-protected power-off)
Be smart with your phone
Mobile phone theft has become increasingly common in urban areas, but many cases can be mitigated if both users and policymakers adopt smarter preventive measures. While law enforcement agencies do their part, there is often a critical delay between theft and recovery. It is during these first few minutes that the chances of retrieving a lost or stolen phone are the highest.
Ankur Puranik, Cyber and Electronics Expert
1. Low-power Bluetooth tracking (even when switched off)
One of the most effective technological solutions is low-power Bluetooth tracking, as Apple has implemented in its ecosystem. Even when a phone appears to be switched off, it can continue to emit a secure, low-energy Bluetooth signal. Nearby devices can detect this signal and anonymously relay the location to a central server. If widely implemented in Android devices, this feature could significantly improve recovery rates.
2. Mandatory eSIM Adoption
The use of eSIM technology can play a crucial role in preventing the misuse of stolen phones. This makes it harder for thieves to disconnect the device from the network, allowing tracking systems to function for a longer duration.
3. Restricting power-off without authentication
A simple yet powerful safeguard would be requiring a password, PIN, or biometric authentication before a phone can be switched off. Thieves power off devices immediately, cutting off tracking capabilities.
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