Fake cell phone selling racket busted in city

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

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 8,000 to Rs 10,000 and we are in touch with the Nokia company on how the software was 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 cracked the racket after arresting them, who were selling the fake handsets and other accessories in the grey market in places like Burma Bazaar, Hong Kong Bazaar and Bajaj Complex.

They used to tell the customers that the Nokia had 'brought out' new models like N-73 and N-95 and selling them, the police official said adding the seizure, included 90 handsets, 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