A coordinated police operation in the capital’s Jatrabari area has led to the arrest of 12 individuals allegedly involved in a sophisticated mobile phone theft and trafficking network, along with the recovery of 62 stolen handsets of various brands and models.
The arrests were made on Tuesday night at around 8:30 pm during a targeted raid in the Shonir Akhra bridge slope area, a location authorities say had become a discreet hub for the illicit trade of stolen mobile devices along the Dhaka–Chattogram highway corridor.
According to law enforcement officials, the group had been operating as part of a wider distribution chain, collecting stolen mobile phones from different parts of the country at significantly reduced prices before reselling them across Dhaka and surrounding districts.
A senior official from the Metropolitan Police’s media wing confirmed that the operation was conducted based on confidential intelligence suggesting the presence of an organised syndicate actively engaged in handling stolen goods. During the raid, police recovered 62 mobile phones, believed to have been gathered from multiple theft incidents.
All 12 suspects were detained on the spot and later identified as individuals with varying roles within the network, ranging from collectors to intermediaries and street-level sellers. Following initial interrogation, investigators said the group admitted to sourcing stolen devices from different regions and distributing them within the capital’s busy informal electronics market.
A case has been formally registered at Jatrabari Police Station, and the accused have been produced before the court for further legal proceedings. Authorities have indicated that further investigations are underway to identify additional members of the syndicate and trace the original theft points of the recovered devices.
Details of the arrested individuals
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Emdad alias Iddat Sheikh | 53 |
| Md Faruk | 43 |
| Abu Bakkar Siddique | 45 |
| Md Rubel | 39 |
| Abdur Razzaq | 44 |
| Md Mizan | 51 |
| Md Alamgir | 48 |
| Md Mamun | 45 |
| Md Rashed | 35 |
| Md Shamsul Haque Milon | 65 |
| Din Islam | 47 |
| Md Saiful Islam | 23 |
Police officials believe the dismantled network may only represent a fragment of a larger chain involved in the circulation of stolen mobile phones across urban markets. Efforts are ongoing to determine whether the group maintained links with pickpocketing gangs, transport hub thieves, or online resale channels.
Authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to intensifying surveillance along key entry and exit points of the city to curb the rising trend of mobile phone theft and illegal resale operations.
