Gandhinagar, Oct 28 (IANS) Gujarat authorities have recovered 50.75 per cent of lost and stolen mobile phones traced through the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal, placing the state second, next only to Andhra Pradesh, among major populated states in the country, according to data analysed up to October 26.
A total of 2,38,533 mobile handsets have been blocked in Gujarat through the system so far. Of these, 1,47,427 have been traced, while 74,823 have been successfully returned to their original owners, according to the state government.
The recovery rate is significantly higher than the national average of 37.4 per cent. Gujarat’s performance has also improved from 41 per cent in October 2025, marking an increase of 9.75 percentage points over the past year.
The CEIR portal, operated by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), allows lost or stolen mobile phones to be blocked and traced, helping prevent their misuse and facilitating their recovery by the rightful owners.
In recognition of the officers responsible for implementing the system, the DoT’s Gujarat Licensed Service Area (LSA), in coordination with Gujarat Police, honoured nodal officers from the best-performing districts at a ceremony held on October 27.
Performance during the first half of the financial year 2026-27, covering April 1 to September 30, placed Anand district first, Dang district second and Ahmedabad city third in Gujarat.
Police Inspector Jaymin Dodia of the Cyber Cell in Anand secured the first position. Police Sub-Inspector J.G. Anadka of the Local Crime Branch in Dang ranked second, while Assistant Sub-Inspector Bhaveshkumar Vishnuprasad and Police Constable Hardiksinh Jayantilal of Ahmedabad city jointly secured the third position.
The officers were presented with shields and certificates of appreciation for their work in implementing the portal and tracing lost or stolen handsets.
The ceremony was attended by Dr K.L.N. Rao, Director General of Police, CID Crime and Railways, and Girish Kataria, Additional Director General of the DoT’s Gujarat LSA.
The initiative relies on coordination between the Gujarat Police and the telecommunications department to identify and trace missing devices.
Blocking stolen handsets can also help restrict their further use, while the recovery process enables owners to retrieve their phones.
The state government said the coordinated effort was helping improve citizen services, prevent the misuse of lost or stolen mobile devices and curb cyber fraud incidents.
–IANS
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