Police in J&K’s Poonch return 50 recovered mobile phones to owners

Jammu, June 15 (IANS) Police have returned 50 lost/stolen mobile phones to their owners in J&K’s Poonch district, an official said on Monday. 

The Poonch district police handed the recovered mobile phones worth over Rs 8 lakh to their rightful owners at a function held at the District Police Office on Sunday

Officials said that SSP Poonch gave the devices to the beneficiaries in the presence of police officers and citizens.

The phones were traced and recovered by Cyber Police Station Poonch through technical investigation and coordination with telecom service providers following complaints of lost or stolen devices.

Using advanced tracking tools and surveillance, the cyber team located the phones across different locations.

After legal verification, the devices were returned to their owners. Beneficiaries thanked the police for their prompt and professional efforts in recovering the property.

Speaking at the event, SSP Shafqat Hussain urged citizens to report lost or stolen phones immediately through the CEIR portal and at the nearest police station to improve chances of recovery.

He reiterated the department’s commitment to citizen-centric policing and the use of technology in public service. Poonch police said it will continue to use modern tools and proactive measures to safeguard public property and strengthen trust in law enforcement.

Cyber police traced stolen mobile phones by tracking their unique IMEI numbers across telecom networks, often utilising the centralised CEIR Portal.

When a stolen device connects to any cellular network, police and network operators receive an alert, making recovery highly likely once the device is turned on.

Cyber police have advised people to take the following steps immediately once their mobile phone is stolen:

Obtain Your IMEI Number: Dial *#006# from your phone if you recorded it previously, or check the original purchase box and invoice.

File a Police Report: Lodge a formal complaint or FIR at your nearest local police station, or report it online via your state's police or cybercrime website (e.g., National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal).

Block Your Device: Visit the official CEIR Portal (Central Equipment Identity Register) under Sanchar Saathi to block the stolen device using your FIR and IMEI number. This prevents the phone from being misused.

SIM Card Action: Deactivate the lost SIM card and request a replacement with the same phone number from your network provider.

Cyber police have also warned that stolen cell phones, unreported and left operational in the hands of phone thieves, can lead to criminal and financial complications for the original owner.

--IANS

sq/vd