Vijayawada: The sudden surge in demand for used, damaged, and non-functional mobile phones could create a new challenge for law enforcement agencies, with cybercrime experts warning that stolen handsets may increasingly be dismantled and sold for their valuable components.Until recently, stolen mobile phones were often traced using their unique IMEI numbers. Once a stolen handset was sold and a new SIM card inserted, investigators could track its network activity and recover the device. However, the growing demand for processors, memory chips, and mobile motherboards is likely to create a new avenue for phone thieves.Cybercrime experts fear that criminals could now break open stolen smartphones and sell the motherboards, processors and memory chips separately. Once dismantled, the handset becomes much harder to trace through conventional IMEI-based tracking, potentially making investigations more difficult.The changing market is already being noticed by mobile repair dealers in Vijayawada. Santosh Solanki, who runs a mobile repair shop near NTR Complex, said people have been approaching shops in large numbers with damaged phones, often without any documentation. “Several people come every day saying the phone is theirs and was damaged, and ask us to buy it. But when we insist on knowing whose phone it is or ask for proof of ownership, they often leave without answering,” he said.The unusual demand has prompted police to issue a clear warning to consumers and mobile traders: old or damaged phones should not be bought or sold without the original box and purchase bill. Police have also stepped up awareness efforts in Vijayawada’s major mobile markets.Special counselling sessions have reportedly been conducted for mobile dealers, repair shops and traders in areas such as NTR Complex and Eluru Road, where a large number of mobile sales and repair outlets operate. Police officials are advising shopkeepers to maintain proper records of devices purchased from customers and verify ownership before accepting old or damaged handsets.Cybercrime experts say the booming market for phone components may be legitimate, but without proper checks, it could inadvertently provide a lucrative channel for thieves to dispose of stolen devices while making recovery and investigation considerably harder.
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