Hyderabad: Cyberabad Police Commissioner Dr. M. Ramesh on Tuesday handed over 1,016 lost mobile phones to their rightful owners after police traced them through the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal during the 10th phase of the lost mobile phones recovery drive.
The recovered devices were collectively valued at around ₹3,04,80,000. Police teams from different zones identified and retrieved the phones using advanced tracking systems before returning them to victims at a programme held at the Cyberabad Police Commissionerate office.
Officials said the recovery was carried out by multiple Crime Control Station (CCS) teams. Shamshabad CCS recovered 265 phones, while Shadnagarlingampalli CCS traced 255 devices. In addition, Quthbullapur CCS recovered 181 phones, Kukatpally CCS retrieved 160 devices and Rajendranagar CCS recovered 155 phones.
Speaking on the occasion, the Commissioner said mobile phones have become essential tools for personal communication and livelihood. Therefore, police treat the lost mobile phones recovery effort as a priority service for citizens. He advised people to immediately register complaints on the CEIR portal when phones are lost or stolen, enabling faster tracking and recovery.
Cyberabad police strengthen lost mobile phones recovery and cyber awareness
Dr. Ramesh also cautioned the public to remain alert about cyber crimes. He warned people against suspicious investment schemes promising high returns and unsafe links circulating online. According to him, Telangana Police are conducting “Operation Crackdown” across the state to act against cyber criminals and their collaborators.
Under this operation, authorities freeze suspicious bank accounts used in cyber fraud and initiate processes to return funds to victims. The Commissioner also praised the police IT teams and officers who played a key role in tracing the devices.
Crime DCP A. Muthyam Reddy urged citizens to block SIM cards immediately after losing a phone and temporarily secure their bank accounts to prevent financial misuse. He also advised people to protect devices with strong passwords or biometric locks and avoid clicking suspicious links online.
Cyber Crime DCP T. Sai Manohar warned that if lost phones reach cyber criminals, they may access banking applications and misuse UPI payment systems. He said police recently reviewed frozen bank accounts and unfroze 103 accounts belonging to individuals who were not linked to cyber crimes.
Several victims shared their experiences during the programme. A woman from Alwal said she lost her phone along with her bag at an exhibition two months ago. She feared it would never be recovered because the device remained switched off.
Police traced the phone and returned it, bringing relief to her family
Another victim said he had almost given up hope of retrieving his device after losing it long ago. He expressed happiness when police informed him that his phone had been traced and asked him to collect it.
A resident of Karimnagar said his phone slipped from his pocket while walking in the Narsingi area during a visit to see his daughter. Because the phone contained banking details and personal information, he feared misuse. He thanked Cyberabad Police for recovering the device.
Another victim from Visakhapatnam said he had faced harassment from a loan app fraud. After borrowing a small amount, fraudsters demanded large payments and threatened to circulate morphed images online. He said filing a complaint with cyber crime police helped him overcome the problem.
Senior officers including Crime DCP A. Muthyam Reddy, Cyber Crime DCP T. Sai Manohar, Crime ACP Y. Nageshwar Rao and several inspectors from CCS units attended the programme.