Kolkata, Nov 9 (IANS) In a rare display of cross-border honesty and law enforcement coordination, a Bangladeshi citizen travelled to West Bengal to return an expensive smartphone that had been stolen in India and smuggled into Bangladesh, police said on Monday.   

The mobile phone was originally reported missing on June 30 from the premises of Burdwan Medical College and Hospital. The owner, Payel Dhara, a resident of Bankura district, lodged a formal complaint with the Burdwan police station, triggering an investigation.   

Using technical surveillance and cyber cell tracking, police sleuths traced the device's International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) signal across the international border into Bangladesh.   

Investigators made a breakthrough when the buyer, identified as Mohammad Ahad Ali, a resident of Rajshahi district in Bangladesh, inserted an Indian SIM card into the handset while visiting India for medical treatment.

The cyber cell picked up the active location and established direct contact with him.   

Upon being informed by the Burdwan police that the handset he had purchased from a local shop in Naogaon district was stolen property, Ahad offered his full cooperation. 

On Monday, he personally visited the Burdwan police station carrying his passport and visa to hand over the device to law enforcement officials.   

"I did not know that the phone was sold in Bangladesh like this," Ahad stated. "I bought it from a shop. The police contacted me. I came to India with my passport and visa and submitted the phone to the police station."   

Commending the visitor's integrity and assistance, the Burdwan police noted that the operation highlights the efficacy of cross-border technical tracking in criminal investigations. 

Authorities confirmed that legal formalities are underway to restore the smartphone to its rightful owner.