Cuffe Parade police apprehended 24-year-old army jawan B Alpha Tuipang on Saturday for allegedly stealing 29 mobile phones belonging to his colleagues from the Garrison Battalion barracks in Navy Nagar, Colaba. Originally from Mizoram, Tuipang is currently in police custody until July 21.
The theft occurred on June 22, prompting an FIR to be registered. Police tracked the stolen phones through technical surveillance after receiving an alert that a new SIM card had been activated in one of the devices in Coimbatore. A team traced the SIM card to a lodge where Tuipang had stayed.
Upon being issued a notice, Tuipang admitted to the theft. Authorities recovered 20 of the stolen phones, valued at approximately Rs 3 lakh, from him. It is believed he intended to sell the phones. Tuipang joined the army four years ago and had been absconding since the incident.
