Samsung phone parts worth Rs 80 lakh stolen from warehouse; 4 arrested

Four men have been arrested for allegedly stealing mobile phone parts worth Rs 80 lakh from Samsung's warehouse in Noida and sending some of these to Hong Kong, police said on Sunday. The police also recovered Rs 20.50 lakh from the accused who stole display screens, chargers and other mobile phone related parts and equipment from the tech giant's warehouse over the past few months, a senior official said. A complaint was made by Samsung officials on Saturday at the local Phase II Police Station after which an FIR was registered and investigation taken up, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central Noida, Harish Chander said.

“One of the accused, Gaurav Sikka, runs a mobile phone shop in Gaffar Market in Delhi's Karol Bagh. Sikka would procure the stolen parts from the other three and courier some of them to Hong Kong,” he said.

The others arrested have been identified as Ashok Kumar, Luvkush Singh and Ajay Lal and the FIR has been lodged under Indian Penal Code section 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 411 (dishonestly receiving property), the officer said. Luvkush worked for a private company in Noida which provided some electronic items to Samsung. His job was to ensure delivery of products from his firm to the Samsung warehouse, according to the police.

Luvkush came in contact with Ashok Kumar, who was a vehicle driver in the logistics chain, and together they found Ajay Lal, a local resident, who told them he knew someone (Gaurav Sikka) at Gaffar Market in Delhi who would be ready to buy phone parts from them, police said. They then planned regular theft of mobile phone parts from the Samsung warehouse and continued the same for four months. The stolen parts were bought by Sikka at Rs 1,000 per octa (diplay screen) which actually costs Rs 2,250 per piece, they said.

“A total of 22 boxes of mobile phone parts pegged at Rs 80 lakh were stolen by them. Eighteen boxes have been recovered and Rs 20 lakh earned by them by selling the remaining parts have also been seized,” DCP Chander said.

Further proceedings are underway, police added.