SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Police has arrested members of an interstate gang involved in mobile phone and cattle theft in Telangana and seized 15 mobile phones, cars and a number plate, along with Rs 22 lakh in cash.
With the arrests of nine members on Thursday, September 17, the Hyderabad police claimed to have solved 17 cases: 13 of cattle theft and four of mobile theft.
The gang allegedly committed cattle and phone thefts in Telangana and Madhya Pradesh. Among the accused was Mohammed Tabrez, 40, a resident of Langer Houz, who was involved in cattle and mobile phone theft cases. Mohammed Rafiq, 54, an auto driver and resident of Golconda Fort, was involved in both crimes. Mohammed Zubair Akthar, 30, a resident of Moghalpura; and P Sai Reddy, 35, a resident of Langer Houz, who operated a medical store and supplied Xylazine injections; Mohammed Naveed, 24, a resident of Kishan Bagh.
Farahan Shaik, 35, a native of Maharashtra, was involved in mobile phone theft; Mubeen Shaik, 45, a native of Mumbai; Mehboob Shaik, 32, a native of Mumbai, who received the stolen phones; Mohammed Zahed Khan, 34, a native of Navi Mumbai, who received the phones.
Three other gang members identified as Abu, Kalu and Zasim, a Bangladeshi national, are absconding.
Cattle theft
During the enquiry, Tabrez revealed that he, Rafiq and their associates were allegedly involved in cattle-theft offences, particularly during Ramzan and Bakrid, when there was increased demand for cattle. The two accused allegedly identified cattle sheds located in isolated areas late in the night.
They allegedly administered Xylazine injections, a sedative, to make the cattle drowsy and less active, after which the cattle were loaded into vehicles and transported away.
The stolen cattle were sold in the market for low prices. Tabrez was previously involved in several cases of house-breaking and shutter-lifting thefts. After the cattle-theft offences, he allegedly reverted to his earlier pattern of targeting commercial establishments, particularly mobile-phone shops, through shutter-lifting.
Tabrez and Rafiq were allegedly involved in all 13 cattle-theft offences, while Zubair and Naveed participated in selected offences. The accused were allegedly involved in 13 cattle-theft offences across Nagarkurnool, Mahbubnagar and Nalgonda districts, including the Future City commissionerate.
Investigation also revealed that Tabrez, Rafiq and Zubair came in contact with Abu, who was lodged in the Chanchalguda jail in connection with a drug peddling case. After being released, Abu arranged three cars for his associates to be used in the cattle theft, including Innova Crysta, Innova, Ertiga and Baleno, for their activities. Abu’s role was limited to arranging vehicles, and he did not participate in the actual thefts.
Khammam mobile shop theft
On June 11, Tabrez, Farahan and Rafeeq allegedly committed a shutter-lifting theft at Sonovision mobile-phone shop, Khammam. Farahan, having close contacts in Mumbai for the disposal of stolen mobile phones, allegedly facilitated the disposal through facilitators Mehboob and Mubeen, who connected the stolen phones to Zahed, who allegedly procured the stolen mobile phones for approximately Rs 20 lakh, and the amount received from the disposal of the stolen phones was allegedly shared among the persons involved and used for their personal expenses.
After coming to know that the Khammam Police were pursuing them, the accused allegedly fled to Mumbai from Hyderabad.
Subsequently, in July, they again procured a Swift Dzire vehicle and proceeded to Madhya Pradesh, where they allegedly committed further mobile-shop thefts.
Theft in Ujjain
In July 2026, Tabrez and Rafeeq travelled to Madhya Pradesh along with Mukesh in a Swift Dzire. On July 10, they allegedly committed two shutter-lifting thefts at mobile-phone shops in the Freeganj area of Ujjain, with Mukesh participating in both offences. The stolen mobile phones from the Ujjain offences were allegedly disposed of through Mubeen, who arranged their disposal through Kalu, a Mumbai-based associate.
Mobile phone disposal
Investigation further revealed that Mohammed Zahed engaged in the mobile-phone business for several years. He initially worked as a mobile-phone mechanic around 2010 and entered the used-mobile-phone business around 2016.
Subsequently, he allegedly started dealing in stolen mobile phones. Zahed allegedly procured mobile phones from different States, including Telangana and Karnataka, through various intermediaries. The investigation revealed that he allegedly received stolen mobile phones from mediators, who sourced them from pickpockets and other persons involved in mobile-phone thefts in different locations.
He allegedly dealt in new, used, reused and second-hand mobile phones, including stolen and damaged devices and spare parts, and handled approximately 400–500 mobile phones per month.
He also allegedly maintained contacts in Mumbai, including Chor Bazaar and Madanpura, for the procurement and disposal of such phones. Zahed allegedly acted as a receiver and disposer of stolen mobile phones, procuring them through intermediaries and subsequently routing them through his network for onwards disposal in Bangladesh through Kasim.
The investigation also revealed alleged financial transactions connected with the disposal network, including suspected Hawala transactions, which are being further verified. The stolen mobile phones were allegedly disposed of through channels where the devices were difficult to trace or track through their IMEI numbers.
SOURCE : SIASAT
