Mysore/Mysuru: City Police returned 135 stolen cell phones worth Rs. 30 lakh that were traced through Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal to their owners here last evening.

City’s Cyber, Economic and Narcotics (CEN) Crime Police, who assessed the information through CEIR portal and Chatbot (WhatsApp message), succeeded in tracing these cellphones, that were handed over to the owners by City Police Commissioner B. Ramesh at his Office in Nazarbad yesterday.

City Police Chief Ramesh told media persons: “A total of 3,075 complaints related to losing or  theft of cell phones have been registered on CEIR portal since September 2022. So far, 270 cell phones have been recovered including 135 devices being returned to their owners. Two months back, awareness was created among the public on how to use CEIR portal and the link we receive upon sending ‘Hi’ message to a dedicated number-6363255135 on WhatsApp. Based on the complaints registered in this method, the mobile phones are being traced.”

Of the 135 cell phones recovered now, about 30 were traced in other States like Assam, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. However, it cannot be precisely said that they were stolen and sold outside the State, as the chances of losing them during travelling also cannot be ignored.

All the Police Stations have been instructed to upload the complaints related to losing of cell phones on CEIR portal. Earlier, such stolen phones were being traced on the basis of their International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. If the devices were turned on, the process of tracing them were carried out. As the number of cases increased, it was not possible to initiate action in effective manner. However, the CEIR portal has come in handy in solving such cases as the message will be received at respective Police stations soon after the device is turned on, Police Commissioner Ramesh added.

The mobile phone lifters won’t use the device. They sell them to strangers and gullible people whom they lure for a song. Several such people buy the second hand phones offered at a lesser price. If somebody stumble upon such phones, they won’t return it to its owners. As the message is received the moment the device is turned on, Police contact and enquire them. When the Police explain them the fact that the device is a stolen one which is being used and seek their cooperation in returning it to its owner, most of them send the device through parcel. If some of them are unable to parcel the device, Police will personally collect the device from them.

If a gang is involved in mobile theft and hand it over to another, who sell them to those in their network after changing IMEI number, such racketeers can be traced. However in the complaints lodged on CEIR portal, most of them are related to losing the devices. Even the buyers won’t have information of the seller. Hence, our main intention is to trace such devices and return to the owners, said the City Top Cop.

DCP (Law and Order) M. Muthuraj, DCP (Crime and Traffic) S. Jahnavi and Devaraja Sub-Division ACP Shanthamallappa guided CEN Inspector N. Jayakumar, Sub-Inspectors N. Anil Kumar and M. L. Siddesh, ASI Subhash Chandra and staff in the tracing and recovery operation.