Hyderabad: 9 held for stealing telecom equipment worth Rs 60 L

Hyderabad: Investigators from the Commissioner’s Task Force (South Zone) and have apprehended nine members of an interstate gang for stealing telecom equipment worth Rs 60 lakh, including tower cable wires from Airtel and JIO networks, RRUs (Remote Radio Units), and RRHs (Remote Radio Heads).

The arrested individuals have been identified as Banavath Naga Raju, 23, and Maloth Nagesh, 24, who operated as tower riggers for Airtel networks. Another accused Chukkolu Shiva, 22, is a student. Others include Dilshad Malik, 24, Chand Malik, 29, Shaharyan Malik, 20, and Sohail Malik, 20. All of them are residents of Telangana.

The accused, Naga Raju and Nagesh, are from Suryapet district. After completing their education, they moved to Hyderabad for work and started living in the LB Nagar area. Both worked as tower riggers for Airtel network under a subcontractor Summit Enterprises.

However, in order to make quick money and live a luxurious life, they devised a plan to steal RRUs, base bands of Airtel network mobile towers, and tower cables from their work locations. They committed the offense in collusion with their assistant engineer Ashok.

Later, Shiva purchased all of the stolen equipment. He eventually sold it to Dilshad Malik, Chand Malik, Shaharyan Malik, and Sohail Malik. The Maliks run a computer scrap business in Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, other accused, Neerudu Chaitanya and Ravi Naik, also came to Hyderabad for work. Both started working as tower riggers for Jio networks. Later, the accused, Ravi Naik, quit and began working as an auto driver. Chaitanya and Ravi Naik devised a method to steal Jio networks’ RRHs from working stations.

As a result, they stole Jio Networks RRHs (remote radio heads) within the Adibatla and BDL Bhanur PS.

Cases have been registered and further investigation is ongoing.