Kolkata, July 11 (IANS) A Bangladeshi national has been arrested for allegedly running a cross-border syndicate that smuggled stolen mobile phones and laptops from Kolkata to Bangladesh after entering India on a medical visa, the Kolkata Police said on Saturday.

The accused has been identified as Syed Mohammad Salauddin, alias Dollar, a resident of Mamudpur in Dhaka.

In Bangladesh, he posed as an import-export businessman. The police said his passport and medical visa were genuine and no irregularities were found in his travel documents.

However, investigators alleged that he repeatedly entered India using a fake medical prescription issued by a Bangladeshi doctor despite not suffering from any heart or kidney ailment.

During each visit, he rented a house in Haridevpur on Kolkata’s southern outskirts through a broker and allegedly established contacts with mobile phone thieves and handlers of stolen goods across the city.

According to investigators, Dollar primarily purchased stolen iPhones and other high-end smartphones at throwaway prices before stockpiling them. He also procured stolen laptops and other electronic items. The police alleged that the devices were then smuggled to Bangladesh, where they were sold at much higher prices through a stolen electronics network operating in Dhaka.

The investigation gathered pace after the arrest of an alleged mobile phone thief in connection with a recent snatching case.

A senior Kolkata Police officer said the investigation began into the case after a man allegedly stole two mobile phones, including an iPhone, from a young man’s pockets while he was walking along a road at Central Avenue in Kolkata. After the victim lodged a complaint at Bowbazar Police Station, detectives examined CCTV footage, identified the accused as Mohammad Arbaaz, alias Vicky, and arrested him.

During interrogation, Vicky allegedly told investigators that he had sold the stolen phones to a buyer known as Dollar. Acting on the lead, detectives began tracking the suspected receiver of stolen electronics.

Based on the information gathered during the investigation, detectives laid a trap in Kolkata’s New Market area. Dollar was arrested after he arrived there allegedly to collect a fresh consignment of stolen mobile phones. A subsequent search of his rented house in Haridevpur led to the recovery of several mobile phones.

The police said they are questioning the accused to identify other members of the cross-border smuggling network, and further investigation is underway.

–IANS

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