Delhi Police Recovers 76 Lost Phones Using CEIR Portal in Month-Long Drive

IMEI Tracking and Cyber Surveillance Help Reunite Owners with Missing Devices​

New Delhi, May 17 – In a significant digital policing initiative, Delhi Police has recovered 76 lost mobile phones over the past month using the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal, officials confirmed on Saturday.

The drive, aimed at tracing and returning lost or stolen devices, leveraged cyber surveillance and International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI)-based tracking to locate the phones. These devices had either been reported missing through general complaints or linked to theft cases via e-FIRs.

“We traced 76 mobile phones in the last one month and handed them over to their rightful owners. The operation was made possible through a combination of cyber-space surveillance and IMEI tracking,” said Devesh Kumar Mahla, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi).

Kartavya Path Police Station Leads Recovery Effort​

The recoveries were executed by various police stations across the New Delhi district. Kartavya Path police station accounted for the highest number with 38 phones recovered. Tughlak Road followed with 10, while Tilak Marg retrieved seven devices. Chanakyapuri and South Avenue police stations recovered four phones each.

Other contributions included:

• Three recoveries each by Barakhamba Road, North Avenue, and Connaught Place stations
• Two by Mandir Marg
• One each by Parliament Street and the Cyber police station

Some of the phones had been reported lost as far back as three years ago, while others were missing for just a week before recovery.

300 More Phones Under Tracing​

Delhi Police is currently tracking nearly 300 additional mobile phones and expects to return them to their owners in the coming month.

“We have used non-traditional methods to achieve this result. All the individuals who received their phones back had simply lodged a lost report and trusted the police to act,” Mahla added.

CEIR Portal Gaining Traction​

Developed by the Department of Telecommunications, the CEIR portal allows users to report lost or stolen mobile phones, block them from network access, and assist in recovery through tracking when the devices reconnect to a network.

Encouraged by the success of the operation, Delhi Police plans to expand the use of CEIR and enhance public awareness around digital complaint tools and procedures for lost mobile phones.