Police in Malda acted on a tip-off and recovered 105 stolen cell phones from Purba Mahajanpara village of Sujapur under Kaliachak police station on Saturday.

A man was also arrested in this connection.

Alok Rajoria, the Malda superintendent of police, said accused Mohammed Asraful Alam had stored these stolen cellphones, most of which are Android handsets, at his house.

“During interrogation, he has admitted that one Ziaul Sheikh from Khaschandpur-Charkatola area was dealing in stolen smartphones for a long time. Ziaul collects the stolen handsets from different states, stores them at different places like Alam’s house, and sells those in Kaliachak. Hunt is on to nab him,” said the district police chief.

In a separate incident, two large “akashmoni” (a variety of acacia) trees were felled at the office of the block development officer of Old Malda. Irfan Habib, the BDO, said he has no idea who cut down the trees and took away the trunks. The forest department launched a probe, said Sitangshu Gupta, the additional divisional forest officer of Malda.