The city crime branch has traced nearly 300 lost mobile phones in the past 10 days and begun returning them to their owners. Yet a far larger, organised theft network continues to keep most stolen handsets beyond investigators' reach.
Senior officers say misplaced phones are often recovered through digital tracking, but professionally stolen or snatched devices typically vanish into cross-border black markets within days. Many are routed through interstate carriers before reaching networks that move them into Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, where they are unlocked and resold.
"The handset is quickly passed through multiple handlers. By the time a complaint is registered, it may already be outside the state or even the country," a senior officer said.
Police say smugglers aggregate stolen phones from cities, transport them to border states and funnel them through informal courier chains near porous borders. Once across, software locks are altered, IMEI trails obscured where possible and devices sold at lower prices.
Data show around 1,000 phones are reported stolen or lost in the city every month. Investigators have also flagged a local pipeline through mobile repair markets. Some gangs sell stolen phones at throwaway prices to small repair operators, who dismantle them and reuse original parts such as screens, speakers and cameras in other devices. Customers, often seeking genuine parts, may unknowingly receive components sourced from stolen phones. To counter this, the crime branch and local police are planning a crackdown using decoy customers. Undercover teams will submit devices for repair, followed by forensic checks to identify replaced parts and trace their origin. "If there is no legal purchase trail, criminal action will follow," an officer said.
Block stolen phones
Police urge citizens to report thefts immediately via Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR). After filing a complaint or e-FIR, users can submit device and IMEI details on the portal. Networks can block the handset within hours to a day, rendering it unusable on Indian telecom systems and improving chances of recovery.
Closing the gaps
Officials say stricter monitoring of second-hand dealers, mandatory digital billing of spare parts and verified supply chains for repair shops could curb the trade. Buyers are advised to insist on invoices and IMEI verification, while users should enable tracking and remote lock features and store IMEI details securely.