Last week according to a newspaper report, four kids aged between 13 and 17 years, got arrested in Mumbai for the crime of stealing mobile phones. In an official interrogation, the convicted kids revealed that they are a part of a gang that gives the training to steal mobile phones.
Local newspaper daily, the Mid-Day reported that gang constitutes about 30 children that operate efficiently taking deliberate risks and abiding by stringent instructions.
Here are some key things you need to know about them.
How do they execute a stealing operation?
The kids operate in a group of 4. The mastermind behind the stealing operations station them in different areas. While one of them acts as a beggar, approaches the victim, and then grabs their legs imitating their urgency for money. When the victim tries to free their legs, another child tries to take leverage of the distraction and snatches their phone. The third and fourth child keep their eyes open for cops.
Payment Model
The kids get a maximum commission on Samsung models followed by OPPO, Vivo, Mi. They are supplied with instructions for stealing phone models. Depending on the brand they have stolen, lucrative cash benefits are offered to them.
For example, kids earn Rs.1k-5k for Samsung phones worth between Rs. 30k-50K. For Oppo and Vivo phones, they manage to earn Rs.1k-3k. For Mi phones, the commission is the least.
iPhone is avoided for stealing
Children refrain themselves from stealing iPhones because of ‘Find My iPhone’ feature. iPhones are more expensive than an android phone of Samsung or OPPO but the kids were given distinct instructions of not touching one since iPhone is embedded with a phone-tracking feature ‘Find My iPhone’.
If the little thieves even get hold of an iPhone, they are commanded to ditch the device before returning home or their group’s nest.
Embezzling become easy in crowded places
The teenage group of thieves are deployed in those places where crowds are expected to be in abundance. The brainchild of mobile-snatching operations outlines a blueprint that composes of the daily timings of the children depending on the place which are bristling with people.
The minors disclosed that their mastermind has divided their duties based on the days of the week or specific festivals.
According to a Mumbai police official, “On Fridays, they are deployed at Haji Ali, and on Tuesdays, they go to Siddhivinayak Temple,”
Festivals are targeted by the gang
The mobile phone stealing gang not only operates in Mumbai but also in its adjoining cities during festivals like Diwali and Navratri. Ganpati festival is immensely famous in cities like Mumbai, Pune, and Nashik. On normal days, the kids are stationed at CSMT and Churchgate railway stations for targeting the busy commuters.
The arrested minors, however, have revealed that in order to surge the levels of profit, they even operate from Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh during the festivals of Makar Sankranti and Navratri.
What happens to the stolen phones?
The filched devices are illegally exported to Bangladesh via Jharkhand and are sold in their black markets. The cops even stated that some kids working in this gang are also recruited from the black markets there. As of now, the minors are now staying in Dongri children’s home.
Mumbai police have started verifying the identity of the parents of these kids. They are looking forward to arresting the mastermind when he would appear in picking up one of these kids.