The Hubballi-Dharwad police have successfully returned over 500 mobile phones to their rightful owners in just two months said Police Commissioner Raman Gupta.
Speaking to reporters after handing over 112 recovered phones to their owners here on Saturday, Gupta attributed the success to the overwhelming response from the public to the e-spandana programme. He added that records of over 5,000 lost or stolen mobile phones were uploaded to the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal for tracking, and since its inception, 500 phones have been returned to their owners.
Gupta said that the advancement of technology has made it easier to trace lost mobile phones. Most of the time, owners lose their phones while traveling or leave them somewhere and forget about them. Sometimes, pickpocket incidents or snatching by miscreants are also the cause of loss, he said.
Hubballi-Dharwad Police Returned 400 phones recently
Gupta also noted that tracing mobile phones lost a year ago was possible since the data of over 5,000 mobile phones had been uploaded to the portal. However, it was not possible to trace all the lost phones as miscreants sometimes change the IMEI numbers of the phones, change some spares, or dismantle them. These lost phones end up in markets where second-hand phones are sold, he said.
The police commissioner also requested the public to use the “Know Your Mobile” application to check if the phone they purchased was not stolen or lost. If they are found to be stolen or lost, the police will ask for their return. Gupta also commended the Cyber Crime Police, CCB, and Vidyanagar police for their work in tracing lost mobile phones and for solving crimes and awarded them cash rewards and certificates.
According to Raman Gupta, the Police Commissioner of Hubballi-Dharwad, the City Crime Branch (CCB) police, which was previously inactive, has now been activated and is making commendable progress. In the past four months, they have registered several cases under the NDPS Act, Excise Act, illegal transportation of PDS rice and money, cricket betting, and gambling, leading to the arrest of 42 individuals and the seizure of a total of Rs 3.32 crore.
DCP Dr Gopal M Byakod, ACP Narayan Baramani, and others were also present.
How to report lost or stolen phones?
The Hubballi-Dharwad Police have simplified the process of reporting lost or stolen mobile phones for residents of the twin cities. Individuals can report their lost phones easily by sending a WhatsApp message to 8277952828 with the word “Hi” from another mobile number. They will receive a link to fill out a form with all the necessary details of their lost mobile phone. After submitting the form, the complaint will be registered, and the police will take appropriate steps to either return the phone to its owner or permanently block it.
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