In a major boost to digital recovery efforts, the Kannur City Cyber Cell has successfully retrieved and returned 33 lost or stolen mobile phones to their rightful owners. These phones were tracked to various regions within Kerala and other states such as Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Karnataka.
Kannur District Police Chief P. Nidhinraj personally handed over the recovered devices and emphasized the role of the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal—an initiative by the Department of Telecom—in tracing and disabling lost phones using the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number.
Highlighting the risks of data misuse, Mr. Nidhinraj noted that many users store sensitive information and passwords on their devices. He urged the public to promptly report lost phones and upload the IMEI to the CEIR portal (www.ceir.gov.in) to block and track them.
The recovery effort, covering phones reported lost between 2023 and 2025, was led by Cyber Cell ASI M. Sreejith and CPO Dijin Raj P.K. Some phones were returned directly to the owners, while others were delivered through local police stations or via courier.
Officials revealed that nearly 300 mobile phones have been traced and recovered in the last six months alone—underlining the strength of coordinated cyber policing and technology-driven tracking systems.
Authorities also advised second-hand phone buyers to verify devices through the ‘Know Genuineness of Your Mobile Handset’ feature on the Sanchar Saathi portal (www.sancharasaathi.gov.in) by entering the IMEI.