The City police on Wednesday (May 20) handed over 67 recovered mobile phones worth nearly ₹23 lakh to their owners as part of its ongoing drive to trace and return lost and stolen devices using the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) system.

The police said the thefts and missing phone complaints were reported under the Fort subdivision limits. Several of the recovered phones, including high-end models, had been missing for more than two years before being successfully traced through IMEI tracking and cyber investigation methods.

According to District Police Chief (Thiruvananthapuram City) K. Karthick, some devices were recovered from far-off locations, including parts of Tamil Nadu, after the investigators tracked fresh SIM usage on the stolen handsets.

The recovery operation was coordinated through the cyber wing and station-level police teams following complaints filed by mobile phone users.

The police have urged the public to immediately report lost or stolen phones through the CEIR portal and local police stations. They added that timely complaints improve the chances of tracing devices. Mobile phone users were also advised to keep a record of their mobile phone IMEI numbers for easier recovery procedures.

The city police have said that recovery drives would continue across the city as part of efforts to curb mobile theft and illegal resale networks.