‘Dismantling’ the stolen-phone network, from Kochi streets to shadowy resale industry

KOCHI: A stolen mobile phone in Kochi can have a life far removed from the pocket from which it was lifted.

Police have encountered evidence of phones being moved outside the state after thefts. During the investigation into around 40 phones stolen at a 2024 concert in the city, police found links between the accused and mobile-phone spare-parts shops and service centres in Mumbai and New Delhi. Investigators believed the gangs were supplying stolen phones to such establishments, where they could be dismantled and their components sold.