Bengaluru: Two people have been arrested by the Amruthahalli police for pickpocketing and robbing cell phones from bus passengers. Police have recovered 14 mobile phones from the duo.
Syed Zabiulla (23), and Mateen (22), both residents of RK Hegde Nagar in northeast Bengaluru, have been arrested.
Zabiulla and Mateen used to target bus passengers. They used to steal phones from people on buses. They would wait outside bus stops late at night or early in the morning to rob passengers’ phones as soon as they exited the bus, informed officials.
They would then sell the stolen phones for Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 4,000 to labourers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and other states. The money would be spent on drugs, alcohol, and other vices.
KG Halli police had previously arrested Zabiulla in a dacoity case, while Sampigehalli police had arrested Mateen in an NDPS Act case. This is the first time they have been arrested for stealing mobile phones.