The Ahmedabad Crime Branch on Tuesday, 16 June traced and returned 410 lost mobile phones — valued at ₹63,15,908 — to their rightful owners under the 'Tera Tujh Ko Arpan' property restitution programme. The drive marks one of the largest single-day phone recovery handovers in the city, leveraging central government tracking infrastructure to reunite citizens with stolen and misplaced devices.

How the Recovery Was Carried Out

Investigators used the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal — a Department of Telecommunications platform that enables authorities to block, track, and trace devices via their IMEI numbers — alongside technical intelligence methods to locate the phones. After recovering the devices, officers identified owners through technical verification and contacted them directly.

Owners were subsequently invited to the City Crime Branch office in Ahmedabad, where the phones were formally handed back after identity and ownership details were confirmed. The Crime Branch said all 410 devices, collectively worth ₹63,15,908, were returned in the single operation.

The Scale of the CEIR System Nationwide

The CEIR dashboard, according to the Department of Telecommunications, has traced more than 33 lakh mobile phones across India and blocked over 53 lakh devices through the system. The Ahmedabad operation is part of a broader, technology-driven policing push that has gained momentum as mobile phone theft complaints have risen across urban centres.

Notably, this is not the first time the CEIR system has delivered results at scale — police departments in multiple states have increasingly integrated the portal into their standard property-recovery workflows.

About the 'Tera Tujh Ko Arpan' Initiative

The 'Tera Tujh Ko Arpan' programme was adopted by the Gujarat police department to facilitate the speedy return of recovered assets and seized property to rightful owners, reducing delays that typically arise during investigations and legal proceedings. State authorities have previously reported returning assets worth more than ₹500 crore to tens of thousands of citizens through the initiative.

The programme reflects a wider shift in Indian policing toward structured property restitution — moving recovered goods out of evidence rooms and back into citizens' hands faster than conventional legal timelines allow.

What This Means for Ahmedabad Residents

Mobile phone thefts, snatchings, and cases of misplaced devices continue to be reported across different parts of Ahmedabad, according to the Crime Branch. The dedicated drive was launched specifically in response to the high volume of such complaints. Officials said the operation forms part of ongoing efforts to deploy technology-driven tools to trace lost property and reconnect citizens with their belongings.

With the CEIR system maturing and state police forces deepening their integration with it, residents who have lost phones are increasingly encouraged to file IMEI-linked complaints to improve recovery odds.