Bagerhat District Detective Police recovered 59 allegedly stolen mobile phone sets with altered International Mobile Equipment Identity, or IMEI, numbers during a raid in Fakirhat. The operation was conducted at 9:40pm on Monday night at the mobile phone shops Rezaul Rahman Palash and Pushpa Telecom. Four people were detained in connection with the recovery.

The detainees were identified as Rezaur Rahman Palash, 34, of Pagla Shyamnagar in Fakirhat; Mohammad Wahidul Islam, 26, of Ataikathi in Bagerhat; Chandan Saha, 30, of Ghatbhog under Rupsa police station; and Huchhain Khan, son of Jahangir Khan of Bhat Baliaghata. Bagerhat Police Superintendent Hasan Mohammad Naser Rikabdar disclosed the information at a press briefing at his office on Tuesday morning.

The police superintendent said every mobile phone has an IMEI number used to identify the device, but members of the alleged theft ring changed those numbers. Three additional people linked to the group fled during the recovery operation. Police have filed a case against both the detained and absconding individuals and are continuing efforts to arrest those who fled. A process has also begun to return the recovered phones to their actual owners.