MAPUSA
Colvale Police have busted a mobile theft racket and recovered 13 stolen phones worth around Rs 2.4 lakh following the arrest of a restaurant waiter in Mapusa. Acting on leads from the Government of India’s Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal, which helps track missing and stolen mobile phones, police traced a handset stolen from Dattaprasad petrol pump, Colvale, in May.
The handset was found in the possession of Kuldeep Mahato, a cook from Jharkhand, employed at a Mapusa restaurant. During interrogation, Mahato disclosed that he had purchased the phone from his colleague, 22-year-old Chayyel Mondal of Dinajpur, West Bengal, working as a waiter at the same restaurant. On questioning, Mondal admitted to stealing the phone. Mondal was placed under arrest based on a complaint lodged by PSI Rohan Madgaonkar of Colvale Police Station.
An initial search led to the recovery of five stolen handsets. Further investigation resulted in eight more phones being seized at Mondal’s instance, taking the total to 13 phones.
Police said efforts are underway to trace Mondal’s accomplices and identify the sources of the other stolen devices.
