4 gang members, 3 minors arrested for mobile theft, cyber fraud
The gang was involved in mobile theft and large-scale cyber fraud using stolen SIM cards. As many as 46 stolen mobile phones were recovered from their possession.
A joint team of the Cyber Crime Cell and Ghazipur (Indiranagar) police have arrested four members of an inter-state fraud syndicate from Jharkhand’s Tinpahad region and also detained three juvenile offenders, authorities said on Sunday. The gang was involved in mobile theft and large-scale cyber fraud using stolen SIM cards. As many as 46 stolen mobile phones were recovered from their possession.
The arrested accused were identified as Shubham Kumar Mahato (26), Sonu Mahato (26), Rajkumar Rai (21), and Jonu Kumar (23), hailing from Jharkhand and Bihar. The juvenile offenders taken into custody are aged 14 and 13.
The case unfolded after a complaint was filed by Deshraj, a resident of Mulayam Nagar, who reported mobile theft from a local vegetable market on April 8. Soon afterwards, an unauthorised transaction of ₹2 lakh was made from his bank account linked with his mobile number. A case was registered at the Ghazipur (Indiranagar) police station.
As the probe proceeded, links with several other incidents of mobile theft from crowded marketplaces, including Phool Mandi in Chowk, BKT, Viraj Khand and Nakkhas, emerged, with all complainants reporting similar pattern.
ACP (Crime) Abhinav Kumar said that during interrogation, the arrested accused—Shubham Kumar Mahato, Sonu Mahato, Rajkumar Rai, and Jonu Kumar—revealed a highly organised operation. “The gang frequently targeted crowded areas like city markets, flower and vegetable markets, and fairs across various states, including Uttar Pradesh. After stealing mobile phones, they would immediately disable tracking features with the help of their accomplices, and access SIM cards inside the stolen devices,” Kumar explained.
Kumar said that using the SIM cards, they would gain access to linked bank accounts or credit cards and transfer funds into accounts opened using forged identities. Once the fraud was complete, the stolen devices were sold, and the gang members divided the ill-gotten money among themselves.
Police explained that the gang also employed minors. The accused confessed to luring economically vulnerable families from their villages by offering them money and using minors for phone snatching in public areas. “Children do not come under suspicion, and even if caught, they are often let off with a warning,” the accused said during questioning.
All recovered mobile phones and digital evidence are being examined, and further investigation is underway to trace the money trail and possible buyers of the stolen devices. ACP Abhinav Kumar stated, “This gang was not just stealing phones but also orchestrating sophisticated cyber frauds targeting digital banking. The use of minors and fake accounts makes this a serious organised crime network. We are expanding our probe to track other operatives and prevent further incidents.”
