# Stolen phones feed Rs 150-crore shadow economy in Delhi 2026-08-08T09:56:03+00:00 | India | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Over 2.5 lakh mobile phones were reported snatched, stolen or lost in Delhi in 2025, with more than 1.5 lakh cases in the first seven months alone. Investigators estimate the city's black market for stolen phones is worth Rs 150-250 crore annually. Snatchers are the lowest link; organised syndicates make the real money by stripping premium devices for parts or smuggling them across the border into Nepal. A single high-end screen can fetch up to Rs 15,000 in the grey market. Recovery rates have jumped sharply, from just 5% in 2024 to 74% so far this year, thanks to the Central Equipment Identity Register that helps block and trace devices. Police have identified markets in Gaffar Market, Seelampur and Lajpat Rai as hubs for these operations. The stolen phones are often dismantled, with parts sold separately to evade detection. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: Delhi crime, IMEI tracking, mobile phone black market, Organised crime, phone theft, shadow economy Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/stolen-phones-feed-rs-150-crore-shadow-economy-in-delhi/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/stolen-phones-feed-rs-150-crore-shadow-economy-in-delhi/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.