Tirupati police recover 500 stolen mobile phones worth Rs 1 crore

Tirupati: Tirupati district police wing achieved a breakthrough in tackling mobile thefts by recovering 500 stolen or lost mobile phones, valued at approximately ₹1 crore, during the 14th phase of the “Mobile Recovery Mela.”Presenting the recovered devices to their rightful owners at a press conference, Tirupati SP L Subbarayudu highlighted the vital role played by the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal in accelerating these operations.With this latest phase, the district police have successfully tracked and restored a total of 5,285 mobile phones worth over ₹11.52 crores across 14 consecutive phases. Demonstrating an impressive interstate operational reach, the Tirupati cybercrime unit, led by Inspector R Vinod Kumar, successfully tracked down these devices across neighbouring states, including Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Maharashtra.Tirupati SP emphasised that citizens no longer need to visit police stations to report a missing phone, as they can register complaints from home via the CEIR portal.The district police chief strongly advised the public to immediately block their SIM cards upon losing a phone, secure UPI applications with strong passwords, and strictly avoid purchasing second-hand mobile phones from strangers without proper documentation to prevent future legal complications.