Planning to buy second-hand mobile? You may get glass piece packed in a pouch instead

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru:

Two people were arrested by the Kumaraswamy Layout police for allegedly duping people on the pretext of selling mobile phones at a cheaper price. The police said that the accused would show the original mobiles to the customers, but would give them a glass piece packed inside a pouch after taking the money. The accused were identified as Mohammed Zubair and Gulzar, both hailing from Uttar Pradesh.

According to the police, the accused would mostly target Hindi-speaking persons as they did not know Kannada. Posing as travellers, the accused would approach their targets near bus stands and railway stations, requesting to help them by purchasing their mobile phones at a cheaper price. The accused would claim to have no money to return to their hometown.

The modus operandi of the accused was revealed after one of their victims, Durga Kumar, approached the KS Layout police and had filed a complaint. In his complaint, Kumar had alleged to have paid Rs 5000 to one of the accused after taking pity on his condition and purchased the mobile phone. However, when he went to the house and opened the pouch, he found a glass piece instead of the phone.

Based on the complaint, the police launched a probe and tracked a person who had been selling glass pieces which were exactly cut in the shape of a mobile phone. Following the information procured from him, the prime accused was nabbed by the police. The two accused are currently being interrogated by the police and further investigation in the case is being carried.