Karachi: The Garden Police arrested 3 suspects belonging to a group involved in changing the IMEI numbers of stolen mobile phones and committing theft and robbery. The suspects were identified as Sameer, Mohammad Atif, and Khalid, who were caught red-handed with 17 stolen mobile phones and 1 motorcycle.
According to SSP Arif Aziz, the arrested suspects are highly educated and skilled in IT, and were changing the IMEI numbers of stolen mobile phones using various software. The suspects were changing the IMEI numbers of stolen mobile phones imported from abroad and local phones using fake IMEI numbers, and were selling them in different areas.
The suspects have already changed the IMEI numbers of hundreds of stolen mobile phones. They have also collected names of several shopkeepers who were getting the IMEI numbers changed from them. The suspects have also changed the IMEI numbers of hundreds of PTI mobile phones.
One of the suspects, Atif and Khalid, have a mobile shop in the Diplomatic Market and are partners in the business. Another suspect, Sameer, also has a separate shop in the same market. Cases have been registered against them and investigations have started.