India recovers 13.8 lakh stolen mobile phones via CEIR system

India's Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has reached a significant milestone through the Sanchar Saathi portal and the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) system. Over 60.25 lakh stolen or lost smartphones have had their IMEI numbers blocked nationwide. Of these, more than 37.45 lakh phones were successfully traced, leading to the recovery of 13.80 lakh handsets for their original owners.

In terms of total recoveries, Maharashtra leads with over 1.75 lakh phones, followed by Karnataka with 1.68 lakh and Uttar Pradesh with 1.64 lakh. While large states show high volume, Andhra Pradesh leads in recovery efficiency, successfully returning 58.18% of traced devices. Union territories such as Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands reported the highest recovery rates at 90.91% and 62.94%, respectively.

On a local level, the Khandwa Police in Madhya Pradesh recently returned 113 lost mobile phones, valued at approximately 23.49 lakh rupees, to their owners. This initiative, part of Operation Sahyog, utilized technical resources to trace devices across multiple states including Maharashtra, Punjab, and Rajasthan. The Khandwa Police reported a total of 496 mobile recoveries in 2026 so far, with an estimated value of nearly 90 lakh rupees.