Bengaluru: The Upparapet police have arrested three individuals from Andhra Pradesh involved in a mobile phone theft ring targeting BMTC bus passengers. The arrested individuals have been identified as Naganuri Kumar (23) from Kurnool district, Parashuram alias Abhi (21) from Anantapur district, and a juvenile who has been sent to an observation home .
Police have seized a total of 176 mobile phones and one car, valued at ₹22.40 lakh, from the accused. According to the authorities, the trio would travel to the outskirts of Bengaluru from Andhra Pradesh by car. Once in the city, they would board BMTC buses disguised as regular passengers. They typically operated in busy areas like Majestic and other crowded bus stations, where they could easily blend in and steal mobile phones from unsuspecting passengers.
After stealing the phones, the accused would transport them back to Andhra Pradesh, where they would erase the data of the phones and sell them at low prices. The police crackdown was initiated following a complaint from a passenger who lost his mobile phone while traveling on a BMTC bus from Sangolli Rayanna station to Majestic. This individual had arrived in Bengaluru by train from Shimoga.
The Upparapet police were able to apprehend the suspects based on the details provided in the complaint and subsequent investigation.
