Mobile phone thieves arrested

Mumbai, Apr 26 (UNI) City police have arrested seven persons, two of them minors, on charges of stealing mobile phones from shops and claim to have recovered 20 such handsets from them, totally valued at around Rs 85,000.

Deputy Commissioner of Police R V Tadvi told reporters here today that the seven would break into mobile phone shops and make away with the high-value handsets.

Mr Tadvi said a patrolling team from the Vile Parle police station had in the wee hours of last Thursday halted a car on suspicion. Upon a search of the vehicle, the team found a broken lock, an iron rod and other material that could be utilised for breaking into shops.

Upon probing, the seven persons in the car confessed that they had broken into two mobile phone shops and made away with 24 handsets. Police have arrested Iqbal Shaikh, Ismail Khan, Shekhar Varma, Anil Gaikwad and Ismail Ibrahim Shaikh and two minors -- Vijay Jadhav and Gopal Tayade.

The two minors have been sent to the remand home at Dongri while the rest have been remanded in police custody for a week.

UNI ST-JN MAZ SM1855