Bangalore police bust major fake cell phone racket

Bangalore, Sep 10 (UNI) The City police busted a major fake mobile phone selling racket by nabbing four persons and seized Rs 30 lakh worth of duplicate Nokia sets and accessories.

Briefing newspersons on the seizure, Police Commissioner Neelam Achyuta Rao said the fake cell phones were likely to have been manufactured in China and had Nokia software in good working condition.

"The sets that cost Rs 25,000 were being sold at Rs 8000 to Rs 10,000 and we are in touch with the Nokia company on how the software were used in the fake sets. They look original and have Nokia software used in them. The Cyber police are investigating on how the manufacturers of these fake sets got the software," he said.

Mr Rao said the police team led by DCP Ravikante Gowda had busted the racket in which the arrested were selling the fake hand sets and other accessories in the grey market in and around places like Burma Bazaar, Hong Kong Bazaar and Bajaj Complex. They used to tell the buyers that the cell phone major had 'brought out' new models like N-73 and N-95 and selling them.

The seizure included 90 hand sets, batteries, cases and other materials.

The arrested were identified as Prakash alias Manoharmal, Suleman Mohammed Ilyas, Khalid alias Kamal Basha, Mansoor alias Ajam Ali.

Two others, Kishore and Mohammed Nasir were absconding, he added.

UNI