Staff Reporter :
Stolen mobile phones are being sold online through different e-commerce sites, including ClickBD, ekhanei.com (previously Cellbazaar) and Bikroy.com.
The traded phones are mostly of famous brands like Apple, Samsung and HTC.
Although in some cases customers can understand the illegality of the trade, they make the purchase due to comparatively cheaper prices and unawareness about legal action, sources said.
But in many cases, customers remain unaware of whether the products they are buying are stolen or not, the sources informed.
However, having made the purchase deal, they are often subjected to legal hassles.
Several buyers said police traced their location and called them a few days after they had bought the devices.
They were interrogated and had to return the phone sets to their original owners afterwards.
In recent times, it has become very easy to sell stolen and illegal mobile phones through different websites because the sales process does not require any verification, Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Masudur Rahman told The New Nation on Saturday.
Abedin Sattar Rafeen, a student at a private university, told The New nation on Saturday that he bought an iPhone 4S on January 12 with only Tk 43,000 which is around Tk 70,000 in the market.
He said, “I first saw the advertisement on Cellbazaar and contacted the seller, then the seller told me that he had used the set for one month and due to his emergency need for money, he is selling the set.” He identified himself as Md Riad and said he studies at a private university.
“I was also given headphone, data cable and charger with it,” Rafeen said. Two days after buying the phone, police called him and interrogated him.
Rafeen then came to know that the phone was actually stolen a month ago from a person named Anu, who lives in the capital’s Dhanmondi. Anu also filed a case with Dhanmondi Police Station in this connection.
Rafeen had to submit the phone to the officer-in-charge of Dhanmondi Police Station. He also managed to convince the official that he was a victim of deception and did not steal the gadget.
Seller Riad told The New Nation, “I bought two iPhones from someone named Rohi through the website ClickBd. I bought each of those for Tk 17,000.”
“After purchasing, I sold one to Rafeen and began using the other one. After a few days, police called me and interrogated me. I was then informed that the devices were stolen from Moghbazar and their real owner Ibrahim lodged a general diary in this connection,” he added.
Another buyer Rahim Uddin, a shop owner by profession, was also deceived in a similar fashion after purchasing a Nokia phone for Tk 16,000 through Bikroy.com.
However, Masudur Rahman said the DMP is regularly carrying out drives to catch criminals who sell stolen mobile phones.
“In general, the person who is caught with a stolen phone is considered the wrongdoer. Sometimes innocent people become the victims of deception and we do not send them to jail,” he said
The official said they have planned to conduct drives against the illegal practice of selling stolen mobile phones through websites. “But we will request everyone for not buying phones this way. They should buy from authorised shops.”
Section 411 and 412 of the Penal Code 1860 say anyone carrying stolen properties will be subjected to legal actions, Masudur added.
Md Sohel Rana, marketing and sales manager of ClickBD, said they have methods like e-mail and contact number verification on their website that aim to prevent such illegal acts.
“Yet, there are some isolated incidents. If the government exclusively formulates a policy on all types of online stores, rate of such crimes will drop,” he said.
Stolen mobile phones are being sold online through different e-commerce sites, including ClickBD, ekhanei.com (previously Cellbazaar) and Bikroy.com.
The traded phones are mostly of famous brands like Apple, Samsung and HTC.
Although in some cases customers can understand the illegality of the trade, they make the purchase due to comparatively cheaper prices and unawareness about legal action, sources said.
But in many cases, customers remain unaware of whether the products they are buying are stolen or not, the sources informed.
However, having made the purchase deal, they are often subjected to legal hassles.
Several buyers said police traced their location and called them a few days after they had bought the devices.
They were interrogated and had to return the phone sets to their original owners afterwards.
In recent times, it has become very easy to sell stolen and illegal mobile phones through different websites because the sales process does not require any verification, Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Masudur Rahman told The New Nation on Saturday.
Abedin Sattar Rafeen, a student at a private university, told The New nation on Saturday that he bought an iPhone 4S on January 12 with only Tk 43,000 which is around Tk 70,000 in the market.
He said, “I first saw the advertisement on Cellbazaar and contacted the seller, then the seller told me that he had used the set for one month and due to his emergency need for money, he is selling the set.” He identified himself as Md Riad and said he studies at a private university.
“I was also given headphone, data cable and charger with it,” Rafeen said. Two days after buying the phone, police called him and interrogated him.
Rafeen then came to know that the phone was actually stolen a month ago from a person named Anu, who lives in the capital’s Dhanmondi. Anu also filed a case with Dhanmondi Police Station in this connection.
Rafeen had to submit the phone to the officer-in-charge of Dhanmondi Police Station. He also managed to convince the official that he was a victim of deception and did not steal the gadget.
Seller Riad told The New Nation, “I bought two iPhones from someone named Rohi through the website ClickBd. I bought each of those for Tk 17,000.”
“After purchasing, I sold one to Rafeen and began using the other one. After a few days, police called me and interrogated me. I was then informed that the devices were stolen from Moghbazar and their real owner Ibrahim lodged a general diary in this connection,” he added.
Another buyer Rahim Uddin, a shop owner by profession, was also deceived in a similar fashion after purchasing a Nokia phone for Tk 16,000 through Bikroy.com.
However, Masudur Rahman said the DMP is regularly carrying out drives to catch criminals who sell stolen mobile phones.
“In general, the person who is caught with a stolen phone is considered the wrongdoer. Sometimes innocent people become the victims of deception and we do not send them to jail,” he said
The official said they have planned to conduct drives against the illegal practice of selling stolen mobile phones through websites. “But we will request everyone for not buying phones this way. They should buy from authorised shops.”
Section 411 and 412 of the Penal Code 1860 say anyone carrying stolen properties will be subjected to legal actions, Masudur added.
Md Sohel Rana, marketing and sales manager of ClickBD, said they have methods like e-mail and contact number verification on their website that aim to prevent such illegal acts.
“Yet, there are some isolated incidents. If the government exclusively formulates a policy on all types of online stores, rate of such crimes will drop,” he said.
