‘Tak Tak’ gangs sell off mobiles in Delhi, get IMEI changed

MUMBAI: Lost your high-end cellphone to the "Tak Tak" gangs that commit their crime after knocking on glass windows of cars? The possibility of getting such mobile phones is almost nil once they are taken to Delhi, police sources say.

In Delhi, the phones are cracked to remove their IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers and then updated with new IMEI making it difficult for Mumbai Police to trace them, said a police officer referring to a series of thefts of mobile phones from cars on the busy city roads in the past few days. The "Tak Tak" gangs distract drivers by knocking at two windows of the cars one after another and then flee with the phones kept on the dashboard.

The officer said the gang members fly down from Delhi every month and fly back after stealing mobiles for 15 days. Besides the flight tickets, they earn Rs. 3,500 on each iPhone or any high-end mobile they steal.

The operation of several gangs came to light after Wadala resident Sarvesh Sahni (32), manager with a multinational company, lodged a complaint that when he was driving to office, his mobile worth Rs 32,000 was stolen by a gang on the Eastern Express Highway. "I filed a complaint with Chunabhatti police. The next day, I was called up to Vikhroli Police Station where the police suggested the gang has been busted. They had nabbed two people and recovered seven high-end cellphones. But to my dismay, these two were different people and didn't have my cellphone," said Sahni.

The two men had been arrested during Naka Bandi on the Eastern Express Highway and seven phones recovered from them. Vikhroli police senior inspector Sridhar Hanchate said the duo admitted to their crime and suggested 8 other members of the gang have fled to Meerut. "The accused said they stole 56 phones on that day. They would steal phones costing at least Rs 50,000 from cars and sell them in Jama Masjid market in Delhi for Rs 3,500 apiece. They stay in Bhiwandi, Pydhonie, Dongri localities and flee if any one of them is caught," said Hanchate.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Tak-Tak-gangs-sell-off-mobiles-in-Delhi-get-IMEI-changed/articleshow/54770254.cms