From Tamil Nadu to Rajasthan: 532 stolen phones traced and returned to owners

New Delhi: Delhi Police on Saturday returned 532 lost or stolen mobile phones to their owners. The devices were recovered over the past three weeks as part of the ongoing Operation Vishwas, a special drive aimed at tracing and restoring missing mobile phones. The recovered handsets were traced not only from various parts of Delhi but also from several other states, including Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.

The victims, who had lost their mobile phones in east Delhi, northeast Delhi and Shahdara, were handed over their recovered devices at an event held at a college in east Delhi’s New Ashok Nagar.

“The initiative reflects our focus on citizen-centric policing and the use of technology in tracing lost and stolen property,” said special CP (law and order) Devesh Chandra Srivastava.

Among those reunited with their phones was Kapil Rao, who runs a fast-food outlet in Vinod Nagar. His mobile phone was stolen from the counter of his eatery in Feb last year. Rao said the device contained important documents and business contacts, and he feared the information could be misused. His wait ended on Friday when police informed him that the phone had been recovered. “Nowadays, your phone contains everything and is one of the most important things you own,” he said.

Police said some individuals claimed they had purchased the phones from unknown persons and were unaware that the devices had been stolen or reported lost.

DCP (east) Rajeev Kumar added: “Operation Vishwas aims at strengthening public trust by ensuring the recovery and restoration of citizens’ lost property.”

Nazma, 45, a resident of Shashi Garden, had lost her phone around eight months ago after an intruder entered her home through an inadvertently left-open front door and stole the device. She said she received a call from the police a day before Eid informing her that the phone had been traced and would be returned. “I felt grateful to the police when I got the call,” she said.

Before the ceremony, police also conducted cyber and drug awareness sessions, cautioning citizens against online frauds, digital arrest scams, fake investment schemes, OTP frauds and other cybercrimes. Residents were advised to promptly report cyber fraud incidents through the national helpline 1930.