A Bangladeshi national, identified as Syed Mohammad Salauddin, alias Dollar, was apprehended by Kolkata Police for allegedly operating a cross-border syndicate that smuggled stolen mobile phones and laptops from Kolkata to Bangladesh. Salauddin, residing in Mamudpur, Dhaka, entered India on a medical visa and purported as an import-export businessman in Bangladesh. Despite possessing genuine travel documents, investigators revealed that he used a fake medical prescription to enter India multiple times without any medical condition.
During his visits, Salauddin rented a house in Haridevpur, Kolkata, and established connections with mobile phone thieves and handlers of stolen goods across the city. He reportedly purchased stolen high-end smartphones, including iPhones, at low prices, stockpiled them, and also acquired stolen laptops and electronic devices. These items were then smuggled to Bangladesh and sold at inflated prices through a network dealing in stolen electronics in Dhaka.
The investigation gained momentum following the arrest of a mobile phone thief linked to a snatching incident. The thief, identified as Mohammad Arbaaz, alias Vicky, disclosed during interrogation that he had sold the stolen phones to a buyer known as Dollar. Subsequently, detectives tracked Dollar to New Market in Kolkata, where he was apprehended while collecting a fresh consignment of stolen mobile phones. A search of his rented residence in Haridevpur led to the recovery of numerous mobile phones.
Authorities are currently interrogating Salauddin to uncover other members of the cross-border smuggling network, with the investigation ongoing.
