VADODARA: Panigate police on Sunday nabbed a notorious thief who was in the habit of stealing mobile phones. Mitesh Sharma, a resident of Waghodia Road, was caught with 19 mobile phones that he had stolen over last few months.Sharma has stolen many more phones and sold them to several people.Sharma lives in Ahmedabad but he came to Vadodara some time ago and was staying with his aunt. He used to visit shops, showrooms and offices under the pretext of buying something. He used to inquire about products available and then ask the salesperson for something kept in the remote corner. When the victim turned his or her back, Sharma used to flick the mobile phone lying on the counter and disappear. The victim used to realize after a while that his mobile phone has been stolen.“Sharma sometimes used to take some child from his area along to avoid suspicion while committing thefts. He was also smart as he used to first locate CCTV’s position and then hide face while entering the shop or showroom,” ” said Narsinh Vaghela, Panigate police inspector said.He targeted only those shops where there was just one salesperson. Later Sharma used to sell those costly phones for a meagre price to attracti more customers.“We had received a complaint of theft of a new smartphone sometime ago. When we were investigating it, we learnt about Sharma and picked him up. He led us to the people whom he had sold the stolen phones. We have recovered 19 mobile phones, all high-end pieces, till now,” Vaghela added.

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