Data from the Union Ministry of Telecommunications shows that the chance of recovering a lost/ stolen mobile phone is the lowest in Delhi.
According to the information provided by the government’s Sanchar Saathi portal, only 4893 phones have been recovered by the police out of 5,45,592 phones lost or stolen in India’s National Capital.
The recovery rate thus stands at an abysmal 0.90%. The situation is equally grim in Mizoram, Odisha and Punjab where recovery rates of stolen/ lost mobile phones stand at 1.75%, 4.91 and 5.02%.
As per the data, the Union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands fares the best at 28.81% when it comes to recovery of lost mobile phones. Arunachal Pradesh is placed second on the list with a 25.66% recovery rate, followed by Ladakh at 21.98%.
How to recover lost mobile phones in India
If you have lost your mobile phone, then it can be traced and subsequently recovered using a combination of the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number and the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) initiative of the Union Ministry of Telecommunications.
It must be mentioned that every cell phone has a unique IMEI number, like a fingerprint. Even if the SIM card is replaced, the phone can still be traced through its IMEI. You can request to block the IMEI number through the portal – https://sancharsaathi.gov.in/ after registering a First Information Report at the nearby police station.
Once this step is done, the phone cannot be used on any cellular network irrespective of the SIM card. The police can track your phone by containing the service provider and tracking the location. CEIR thus comes handy as a blacklisted mobile device will not work on other networks.
Interestingly, cheap and unbranded Chinese phones found in Indian markets lack 16-digit IMEI numbers, making it impossible for law enforcement authorities to track and recover such mobile phones.
It remains unknown whether the poor recovery rate of lost and stolen phones in the National Capital is due to the large-scale use of such Chinese phones by residents of Delhi.
