Police bust interstate syndicate involved in stealing mobile tower equipment

The Delhi Police Crime Branch has busted an interstate syndicate involved in stealing critical mobile tower equipment and illegally exporting it abroad.

The police have recovered 130 high-value Radio Remote Units (RRUs) worth nearly Rs 2 crore in the crackdown. The accused were allegedly planning to ship the stolen telecom hardware to Dubai after falsely declaring it as scrap. Police said each RRU costs around Rs 1.5 lakh and is a crucial component installed on mobile towers to transmit radio signals. Their theft forces telecom companies to reinstall equipment, leading to service outages and financial strain.

The arrest has helped police crack at least 60 theft cases reported from multiple states, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh. Officials say the recovery has dealt a major blow to organised theft networks targeting telecom infrastructure. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Aditya Gautam said the accused had built a well-organised supply chain that stretched across several states and was causing serious disruption to mobile services.

“The theft of RRUs impacts telecom connectivity and leads to heavy financial losses. With this recovery, we have dismantled a key link in an interstate network,” he said. The Inter-State Cell of the Crime Branch arrested Aftab, alias Rehan, 28, a resident of Indira Vihar in Gokalpuri, identified as the kingpin of the syndicate. His associate, Rabanwaz, alias Bobby, 40, from Shahdara, was bound down under legal provisions. 

The investigation began after intelligence inputs suggested large-scale thefts of RRUs from mobile towers across the country. Crime Branch teams tracked the movement of stolen equipment and identified the Trans-Yamuna area as a key storage and transit hub. Officers found that RRUs stolen from different states were being transported to Delhi, stored in a godown in Shahdara and then prepared for export.

The equipment was allegedly packed and labelled as scrap to evade detection during customs clearance. On December 26, 2025, the Crime Branch received specific information about a large consignment of stolen RRUs being moved for export.

 The police team laid a trap and intercepted a Tata 407 vehicle near DhaulaKuan. During the raid, police recovered 130 RRUs from the vehicle and detained the accused. An FIR was registered at the Crime Branch police station to initiate further action against the entire network.

During interrogation, the accused revealed that they purchased stolen RRUs for around Rs 90,000 per unit from criminals operating in several states. The equipment was then routed through a transporter based in Mahipalpur, who was tasked with sending the consignment to Dubai. Police said forged invoices were prepared to declare the RRUs as scrap goods, allowing them to pass through export checks without raising suspicion.

Representatives of Airtel verified that at least 60 of the recovered RRUs were stolen from telecom installations across multiple states. Information related to these thefts has been shared with the concerned local police units for further investigation. Police are now working to identify the owners of the remaining recovered RRUs and trace other absconding members of the syndicate. Further arrests are expected.

Officials said the timely interception prevented a major loss to telecom operators and ensured faster restoration of services in affected areas. “This action sends a strong message to organised gangs targeting critical infrastructure,” a senior officer said. The Crime Branch said efforts are ongoing to completely dismantle the interstate network and identify all those involved in the illegal trade of stolen telecom equipment.