Found mobile phones in good working order discovered on the street should be returned to their rightful owners. Failing to do so can be treated as illegal and as active concealment of property, a crime defined in Article 158 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, according to the latest remarks from the Supreme Court reported by RIA Novosti.
The ruling traces back to an incident in Bashkiria where a woman who found a phone on a bus did not return it to the owner. Instead, she removed the SIM card, inserted her own, reset the device, and began using it. The owner attempted to locate the phone through the police and the bus driver before reporting the matter to authorities. The woman was located and convicted of theft based on the evidence and circumstances surrounding her actions.
The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation clarified that concealing a found item or destroying or obscuring features that would allow the property to be personalized or confirmed as belonging to its rightful owner can indicate an intent to steal. Such behavior, which may initially appear lawful, could lose its legality and be classified as a crime if it reveals a selfish motive or interferes with the owner’s identification of the item.
As a result, the Supreme Court affirmed that the theft case involved a legitimate legal assessment and outcome, reinforcing the principle that property found in public places should be handled with care and transparency to avoid criminal liability.
This approach aligns with broader enforcement notes in Russia regarding consumer electronics and related accessories, underscoring how the misappropriation of found devices is treated seriously and subject to criminal penalties when intent to steal is evident.