174 stolen phones worth Rs 59 lakh seized from train in Sahibganj, 2 held

Dumka: Two men were arrested with 174 stolen mobile phones worth Rs 59 lakh from Barharwa railway station in Sahibganj district, officials of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) said on Friday.Sanjeev Kumar, inspector of RPF Barharwa post, said the recovery was made from a general coach of the 1,3403 Up Ranchi-Bhagalpur Vananchal Express during a special checking drive after receiving a tip-off.

The search was carried out between Gumani and Barharwa railway stations.The accused were identified as Mohammad Nasaruddin Sheikh, 28, and Mohammad Rahmat Sheikh, 23, both residents of Kaliachak in Malda district of West Bengal. They were arrested after they failed to produce valid ownership documents or give a satisfactory explanation for possessing the phones.The accused were carrying backpacks and tried to deboard the moving train after spotting RPF personnel but were apprehended.“A search of their bags at Barharwa railway station led to the recovery of 174 used Android mobile phones, of which 85 phones were found in the possession of Nasaruddin and 89 phones were recovered from Rahmat,” Kumar said.The phones were seized under provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and handed over with the accused to the Govt Railway Police (GRP), Barharwa, for further legal action. Investigators suspect the phones may be linked to an organised mobile theft racket operating across multiple regions. Efforts are underway to trace the source of the devices and identify others involved in the alleged syndicate’s collection and sale network operations.