Distract, Steal, Sell: Gang Behind Mega Phone Theft At AP Dhillon Concert

Distract, Steal, Sell: How Gang Busted For Mobile Theft At AP Dhillon Concert Operated

A 48-hour chase by the Delhi Police's Crime Branch ended in the bust of an inter-state mobile theft racket that targeted the AP Dhillon concert at the Indira Gandhi indoor stadium on Sunday, recovering 40 smartphones worth several lakhs of rupees. Four members of the gang, including the kingpin, were arrested after an intense operation led by the Eastern Range-I unit.

The arrested accused - Ghaziabad residents Salman, Imran, Shahrukh and Wasim - were intercepted in a grey Maruti Ignis near Yamuna Vihar Metro Station on December 9. The Crime Branch team, headed by Inspector Ashish Sharma and supervised by ACP Sunil Srivastav, had been tracking the gang's movements since December 8, after receiving specific intelligence inputs.

Among the recovered devices were the latest iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 16 series, Samsung S24 Ultra, Galaxy Fold 6, and a range of premium models from OnePlus, Vivo, Oppo, Redmi and Motorola. Several of these have already been matched with recent FIRs registered in Prashant Vihar, Shahbad Dairy and IP Estate.

Gang's Modus Operandi

Interrogation revealed that kingpin Salman had formed the gang to sustain his lavish lifestyle. Their targets were high-density public gatherings - concerts, metro stations, bars, railway stations and crowded markets.

Their operation was professional and calculated:

• Victims were surrounded, distracted and swiftly relieved of their phones.
• Stolen iPhones were immediately wrapped in aluminium foil to block all tracking signals, making the devices invisible using the "Find My iPhone" feature.
• The gang transported the phones to Ghaziabad within hours, selling them in the grey market at heavily slashed prices.

48-Hour Chase

The Crime Branch team used technical surveillance to track constantly changing locations of the suspects. The breakthrough came on December 9, when officers intercepted their vehicle despite last-minute attempts by the accused to flee.

All four have been booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Police are linking additional cases and identifying buyers and associates in the grey market network.

This crackdown adds to previous involvements of the accused, particularly Shahrukh, who is linked to multiple metro theft cases across Delhi.

The operation, officials said, reinforces the Crime Branch's aggressive stance against organised phone theft syndicates thriving in Delhi-NCR. Further arrests and recoveries are expected as the investigation continues.