More than 1 lakh stolen and lost mobile phones have been traced by Karnataka Police, since the launch of ‘Block Your Lost/Stolen Mobile Handset’ feature of Department of Telecom’s Sanchar Saathi portal in September 2022.
In a post on X, the Karnataka Department of Telecom (DOT) said: “Karnataka LSA DOT is pleased to share that recovery of lost/ stolen mobile handsets through CEIR module of Sanchar Saathi portal has crossed 1 lakh devices.” This reflected the efforts of citizens, Department of Telecom, Karnataka Police, Centre for Development of Telematics, and Telecom service providers in strengthening mobile security and reaffirming Telecom Department’s commitment to ensuring safe and secure communication services across the nation, the DOT posted.
As per the official figures made available, of 4.49 lakh stolen/lost mobile phones that were blocked in Karnataka, using the feature on sancharsaathi.gov.in portal, 2.51 lakh mobile phones were traced, of which 1,00,062 phones have been recovered by the police so far.
In terms of recovery, Karnataka stands second, while Telangana ranks first with recovery of 1,00,100 mobile phones.
The average recovery percentage of Karnataka stands at 40% of total number of lost/stolen mobile phones blocked. The Bengaluru city police have recovered 32,000 mobile phones. The Mangaluru police have so far recovered 2,330 phones, while Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Disrict police units have recovered 673 and 870 stolen/lost mobile phones respectively so far.
The Director General and Inspector General of Police M.A. Saleem told The Hindu that reporting of the stolen/lost mobile phone on the CEIR module of the portal has helped trace location of the mobile phone. This has aided the State police in recovering the lost/stolen mobile phones.
In addition to recovery of mobile phones, the State police is giving special emphasis on tracing missing children. With ‘Mane Mane Police’ campaign, efforts were being made by police to reach out to people on their doorsteps, Mr. Saleem said.
In terms of recovery percentage, the Haveri, Hassan, and Raichur district police units were ranked among the top three. The recovery percentage of Dakshina Kannada police was at 40% and Udupi police at 41%. The Mangaluru Police, which has recovered most of the mobile phones from Dakshina Kannada and Kerala State, had a recovery percentage of 32%.
Reporting phone theft
When a mobile phone is lost, the person can provide details about where the phone was lost and contact details of the mobile owner on the Sanchar Saathi portal or app. Under the option “Block Lost/Stolen Mobile” link, they have to provide device information, including mobile number, IMEI number, device model, and upload the purchase invoice.
The Sanchar Saathi portal is also being used to report about suspected fraud communication, and reports on receiving international call with Indian number. The portal is also helping people to know about mobile registered under their name and about the genuineness of mobile handset.
Published – October 30, 2025 07:29 pm IST
