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Bengaluru: Karnataka Police have achieved the highest recovery rate of stolen mobile phones in the country among the five states with the largest number of mobile theft cases, highlighting the effectiveness of technology-based policing through the Centre’s CEIR portal.

Mobile phone theft has become one of the most common crimes across India, with thousands of complaints lodged every day. Although many victims assume their phones are lost permanently, Karnataka has demonstrated that a large number of stolen devices can be successfully traced and returned to their owners.

Official statistics show that 5,72,972 mobile theft cases have been reported in Karnataka. Using the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR), police have recovered 1,55,940 handsets, translating into a recovery rate of 47.48 per cent, the highest among the leading states.

The CEIR portal tracks stolen phones using their unique IMEI numbers. Once a complaint is registered, any attempt to use the stolen device on a mobile network generates an alert, helping police identify its location and recover it.

Delhi, which recorded the highest number of thefts at 10,24,244 cases, reported the poorest recovery performance with only 45,931 phones traced, amounting to a recovery rate of 7.09 per cent. Maharashtra recovered 1,59,068 phones out of 6,89,044 theft cases, while Telangana and Uttar Pradesh reported recovery rates of 44.16 per cent and 45.77 per cent, respectively.

Police officials attribute Karnataka’s performance to the extensive use of digital tracking tools and coordinated follow-up by local police stations. However, the continued increase in mobile theft and snatching cases has also sparked criticism, with observers pointing out that crime prevention remains as important as recovery. They stress that stronger surveillance, preventive policing and public awareness are essential to curb the growing menace of mobile phone theft.