Hyderabad: In a major operation, the Cyberabad Police have recovered 1061 stolen and lost smartphones worth Rs 3.20 crore from different locations in the last 45 days.
The Madhapur Cyber Crimes Police Station (CCS) topped the list with 240 mobile phones, followed by Rajendranagar CCS at 233, Shamshabad CCS at 205, Medchal CCS at 195 and Balanagar CCS at 188, according to a release.
The mobile phones were recovered using the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal. The devices were handed over to their rightful owners at the Cyberabad police commissioner office in the presence of DCP Muthyam Reddy on Thursday, October 16.
Lauding the efforts of the police team, DCP Reddy stressed the importance of promptly reporting lost or stolen devices at the nearest police station or through the CEIR website.
Since 2023, the Cyberabad police have recovered 13,423 phones, including 1,061 through the CEIR portal with help from CCS Cyberabad and IT CELL (CAT).
Telangana Police are leading in mobile recoveries in the country.
Owners express gratitude to police
An IT employee, whose phone was stolen from a fruit market, appreciated the prompt action from the police. The individual, a resident of Gachibowli, revealed that mobile thieves allegedly attempted to withdraw Rs 2 lakh from their account, prompting him to approach the Cyberabad CCS. The police immediately froze their account, traced the device and recovered it.
In another similar incident, a man lost his phone during his visit to a temple. The man reportedly left his phone on his bike, discovering it was lost later. He lodged a complaint, following which the police traced the phone, recovered it and later handed it over to him.
What is CIER?
The Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) is a centralised database of mobile equipment identifiers (ie IMEI for networks of GSM standard), used to track lost and stolen mobile devices. It can block your phone using its IMEI number, preventing misuse. When your phone is found, it can be unblocked and used again. Citizens can register their complaints through the CEIR portal, Hyderabad City Police Lost Report app, or Sanchar Saathi.
