Tripura (Agartala) [India], December 7 : Twenty-seven missing mobile phones were successfully traced and handed over to their rightful owners in a formal programme held at the West Agartala Police Station on Sunday.
The West Tripura District Superintendent of Police, Namit Pathak, said that 27 stolen mobile phones were traced, of which 22 were recovered through the CiR (Central Equipment Identity Register) Portal.
SP Pathak said, "Today, at the West Agartala Police Station, 27 missing mobile phones were successfully traced and handed over to their respective owners. Twenty-two of these mobiles were recovered through the CiR Portal. CiR is a Government of India portal called the Central Equipment Identity Register, where, after a mobile phone is stolen, certain details can be submitted to help track, block, and perform other necessary actions."
"I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Officer-in-Charge of the police station, because nowadays a mobile phone has become an essential part of a person's identity. Today, the recovered phones were finally returned to their rightful owners," he said.
West Tripura District Superintendent of Police Namit Pathak and Officer-in-Charge Rana Chatterjee personally handed over the recovered devices to the owners.
Several mobile theft cases had been registered under the West Agartala Police Station.
Officials expressed their appreciation for the efforts of West Agartala Police Station, noting that mobile phones have become an essential part of a person's identity in the modern day. The recovered phones were finally returned to their rightful owners, bringing relief to many.
The Central Equipment Identity Register (CiR) is a Government of India portal where, after a mobile phone is reported stolen, essential details can be submitted to track, block, or take other necessary actions to prevent misuse.
In November, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) announced that its digital safety initiative, Sanchar Saathi, has enabled the recovery of over 50,000 lost and stolen mobile handsets across India for the first time.
The Ministry of Communications said in a release that Karnataka and Telangana have emerged as the top-performing states, each crossing 1 lakh recoveries; Maharashtra follows with over 80,000 recoveries.
"Notably, monthly recoveries have surged by 47 per cent from June to October 2025, underlining the system's growing efficiency and reach. With the help of this system, more than one handset is being recovered every minute across the country," the release said.
The ministry said this milestone reflects an unwavering commitment to securing citizens' digital assets and to public trust in technology-driven governance. The overall recovery nationwide has also crossed the 7 lakh milestone.