Ludhiana, May 7 -- The Ludhiana Rural Police on Tuesday returned 50 stolen and snatched smartphones-collectively valued at over Rs.12 lakh-to their rightful owners. The devices had been lost to theft and burglary over the past two years (in 2024 and 2025) and many had been circulated through secondary markets before being traced.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Ankur Gupta said the operation was made possible through the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal, a national database that allows tracking of lost or stolen mobile phones using their unique IMEI numbers.

"Mobile phones today are critical to our privacy and security. Losing one is more than just a financial setback-it's a threat to personal data. There have bee...