Mumbai: The city crime branch arrested a 30-year-old man for allegedly impersonating a police officer and fleeing with mobile phones while claiming to recover lost handsets. Police said he was a habitual offender, with three other offences registered in Mumbai.Unit 12 of the crime branch, acting on a specific tip-off, laid a trap near Aisha Tower and detained Hanjala Mubarak Syed when he allegedly attempted to leave after noticing the officers. During a search, police recovered two mobile phones from his possession.Police said Syed advertised on social media platforms that he could recover lost or stolen mobile phones, allegedly attracting customers whose phones had gone missing.Police said Syed impersonated as “Inspector Sanjay” while contacting persons found using the missing phones. He would allegedly threaten them and demand the return of the devices, creating an impression that he was a serving police officer.A preliminary examination of the devices allegedly revealed Instagram advertisements offering mobile recovery services. Investigators claimed that after obtaining details such as the IMEI number of a missing handset from customers, Syed used a method involving telecom-related queries and assistance from an associate identified as Gaurukh Parihar to obtain information regarding the current user, location and SIM card details linked to the device.Police alleged that Syed would then contact the person using the handset, claim ownership of the phone or impersonate a police officer, and eventually arrange for the recovery of the device. Customers were allegedly charged an agreed amount for the service through online payment modes. Police said Syed had a criminal history, with previous cases registered at Bandra and Nagpada police stations, including cheating and Information Technology Act offences.Investigators are probing whether other persons were similarly cheated, the source of the confidential telecom-related data allegedly used by the accused, the role of his associates, and the money trail linked to the alleged operation. Police said the accused was arrested and produced before the court after a medical examination. Further investigation is underway.
