Fake Samsung phone racket busted

The Special Staff of Central District, Delhi Police, has busted a major racket involved in assembling and selling fake Samsung premium mobile phones in Karol Bagh. Four men, including the kingpin, were arrested, and 512 counterfeit high-end phones were seized during a raid.

Police said the accused were illegally assembling Samsung Ultra, Fold and Flip models using spare parts imported from China. Fake IMEI stickers marked “Made in Vietnam” were pasted to pass the phones off as genuine. The handsets were then sold openly to customers at premium prices.

The raid was carried out at a shop in Beadonpura, Karol Bagh, following a specific tip-off received by the Special Staff. The officers said the racket was operating in an organised manner and cheating buyers on a large scale. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Nidhin Valsan said the recovery shows the scale of the fraud.

“The accused was running a sophisticated illegal assembly unit. Fake premium phones were sold as genuine Samsung devices, causing huge financial loss to customers,” he said. According to police, the information was received on December 13 that a shop was purchasing old and used mobile phones and assembling new-looking premium models using imported parts. A team was formed, and surveillance was carried out before the raid. The raid was conducted on the intervening night of December 13 and 14.

During the search, police found the accused assembling phones inside the shop. A large number of assembled and semi-assembled phones were lying on tables. Boxes, batteries, motherboards, tools and fake IMEI labels were also recovered. “All four accused failed to give any valid explanation for the recovered items,” the DCP said.

The arrested men have been identified as Hakim, 36, a resident of Ashok Vihar; Mehtab Ahmad Ansari, 36, from Brijpuri; Ravi Ahuja, 36, from Rohini; and Rahul, 33, from Karol Bagh. Hakim is the owner of the shop and the main operator of the racket. Police said Hakim is only an 8th-class pass and has no formal technical training. Despite this, he managed a well-organised operation by sourcing parts from China and hiring workers to assemble the phones.

During interrogation, the accused revealed that Samsung Fold, Flip and Ultra models were chosen due to high demand and high resale value. Each fake handset was sold for Rs 35,000 to Rs 40,000 as a new original phone. The total recovery includes 512 fake Samsung premium phones, 124 motherboards, 138 batteries, 459 fake IMEI stickers and a large quantity of accessories and specialised tools.

A case has been registered at Karol Bagh police station under relevant sections of the Telecommunication Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police said further investigation is underway to trace the supply chain of imported parts and identify buyers and dealers who may have knowingly sold or purchased the fake phones.

Officials said the case highlights the growing threat of counterfeit electronics and telecom-related fraud in busy markets like Karol Bagh. Police have warned customers to remain alert while purchasing high-end mobile phones and to verify IMEI details and bills. “We are working to dismantle the entire network linked to this racket,” the DCP said. “Strict action will be taken against everyone involved.” Further arrests are likely as the investigation progresses.