New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANS): Delhi Police on Tuesday busted a gang who used to receive stolen and snatched mobile phones and then change their IMEI number before selling it in the market.

The police said that they have arrested three accused.

The officials said that they have also recovered 79 mobile phones and one high-tech laptop from the possession of the accused identified as Narabjeet Singh (26), Manish (23), and Gurmeet Singh a.k.a Molu (32).

As per the police official records, only a small percentage of snatched/robbed/stolen mobile phones are recovered. The question is - where do these mobiles go and why is it so difficult to track them, even though they have a unique identifier like IMEI.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (west) Vichictra Veer said that on February 17, Narabjeet Singh was apprehended with a stolen phone but its IMEI was found changed.

During interrogation, he disclosed that a person named Manish is his associate and they change the IMEI of the mobile phones for anyone who comes to them.

“The changed IMEI mobile gets virtually a new identity, making it impossible to detect. At the instance of Narabjeet, accused Manish was also arrested and several mobile phones, one laptop loaded with IMEI changing software were recovered,” said the DCP.

They both disclosed that their associate Molu hands them over said mobile phones and after getting IMEI changed, he takes them with him.

“Molu was also arrested. The investigation regarding the source of these mobile phones and where they were being sold is being carried out,” said the DCP.

He said that due to the changed IMEI, it is difficult to connect the cases. However, four cases have been connected so far.