Police have dismantled a sophisticated interstate racket involved in stealing high-value electronic units from mobile towers across several states and smuggling them overseas. Authorities recovered stolen equipment valued at approximately ₹1 crore and arrested three individuals in connection with the operation.
Arrests Made During Active Theft
Joint teams from the SWAT unit, crime branch, and Tronica City police apprehended Adnan Alias Arjun, Amir, and Saurabh while they were in the process of stealing Remote Radio Units (RRUs) from a mobile tower in the Tronica city area of Ghaziabad. Additional Commissioner of Police Raj Karan Nayyar confirmed the arrests, stating they were made during a joint operation following specific intelligence.
Upon questioning and further investigation, officers recovered 27 stolen items, including 20 RRUs and seven Baseband Units (BBUs), along with a radio receiver unit opening machine and a BMW car used in the thefts. The total value of the recovered goods is estimated at ₹1 crore.
International Smuggling Operation
The gang targeted mobile towers across a wide network of states, including Ghaziabad, Delhi NCR, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. Police indicated that the stolen components, which are expensive and in high demand internationally, were being smuggled via sea routes to destinations like Thailand and Hong Kong for significant profits.
- Baseband Units (BBUs): Core components for signal processing, typically costing ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh each.
- Remote Radio Units (RRUs): Connect antennas with BBUs, valued at approximately ₹1.5 lakh to ₹2 lakh each.
Gang's Modus Operandi and Connections
During interrogations, Adnan confessed that the stolen RRUs and BBUs were sold to associates Sonu, Shenawaaz, and Javed, who then arranged for their export. Amir, one of the arrested, revealed he was introduced to the idea of stealing tower equipment by an individual named Anas, whom he met in jail in 2023 while serving time for a murder case. After his release, Amir partnered with Adnan to target mobile towers, receiving ₹70,000-₹80,000 per unit, a fraction of the devices' actual market value.
Saurabh, a sanitation worker with the Ghaziabad municipal corporation, admitted to assisting in the thefts and handing over equipment to Amir, for which he received ₹20,000-₹30,000 per device.
Mastermind Remains at Large
Police records show that over 40 people linked to the gang were arrested in 2024. The alleged kingpin, Javed, who had been operating the network from Dubai, was previously arrested upon returning to India but later released on bail and is currently absconding. Authorities are actively searching for Javed and other members involved in facilitating the international export of the stolen telecom equipment as investigations continue to track the wider trafficking ring.