The Khanna police on Thursday returned 83 mobile phones recovered in cases of snatching and theft to their rightful owners, providing relief to residents who had reported their devices missing.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Jyoti Yadav Bains said that in today’s digital age, mobile phones are more than just communication devices. “People store personal data, photographs, financial details and other sensitive information on their phones. Losing a mobile not only causes financial loss but also exposes private data to possible misuse,” she said.
Highlighting the seriousness of the issue, the SSP said the police technical support unit had been directed to intensify efforts to trace the maximum number of lost and stolen devices. “All the recovered phones were smartphones, including several high-end Apple iPhones. While most of the devices had been snatched, a few were stolen,” she added.
“This is not the first such recovery drive. Earlier too, the police traced and returned over 240 mobile phones to their owners,” Bains said.
The SSP also explained the procedure for reporting a lost mobile phone. She said lodging a police complaint — either a missing report or an FIR in cases of theft or snatching — is mandatory before registering on the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal. After visiting ceir.gov.in and selecting the ‘Block Stolen/Lost Mobile’ option, users must fill in their details along with the phone’s IMEI number. Once verified through an OTP, a request ID is generated, which can be used to track the status.
{{/usCountry}}The SSP also explained the procedure for reporting a lost mobile phone. She said lodging a police complaint — either a missing report or an FIR in cases of theft or snatching — is mandatory before registering on the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal. After visiting ceir.gov.in and selecting the ‘Block Stolen/Lost Mobile’ option, users must fill in their details along with the phone’s IMEI number. Once verified through an OTP, a request ID is generated, which can be used to track the status.
{{/usCountry}}Appealing to the public, Bains urged people to report the loss of their phones immediately to prevent misuse of personal data. She added that the police are continuously spreading awareness about cybercrime and the methods used by fraudsters to dupe people.
However, the challenge remains significant. According to police data, more than 3,000 mobile phones reported lost, stolen or snatched over the past year are still untraced. To formally address the scale of the problem, the Khanna Cyber Crime Police Station registered an FIR in November 2025.