A habitual mobile thief allegedly involved in a series of thefts targeting commuters and passengers in and around the railway station area here was arrested from near the station on Thursday. Police recovered seven stolen mobile phones from him.The accused in the custody of Ludhiana police on Thursday. (HT Photo)The accused, Shiv Kumarv alias Shibbu, a resident of Jamalpur, was involved in multiple mobile thefts near the railway station, railway lines and the busy Clock Tower area, police said.Additional deputy commissioner of police Sameer Verma said repeated complaints of mobile phone thefts in the railway station belt had prompted a special joint operation by the city police and the Railway Protection Force. “As part of the operation, police teams monitored suspicious movement in crowded areas and gathered intelligence inputs to identify those involved in the thefts,” Verma said. Acting on a tip-off, police teams apprehended the accused from near the railway station and recovered four stolen mobile phones during his search. Preliminary investigation revealed that he allegedly targeted crowded places where passengers and commuters were more vulnerable to theft.The accused was produced before a court, which granted police remand for further interrogation. During questioning, he made several disclosures that led investigators to recover seven stolen mobile phones of different brands from locations.Verma said efforts are underway to trace and identify the rightful owners of the recovered devices. The accused is a habitual offender and has previously been booked in multiple criminal cases, he said.