The Kanpur police have returned 101 lost mobile phones, valued at around ₹22 lakh, to their rightful owners after tracing them through surveillance and technical tracking.
The recovery drive was carried out by the Central zone surveillance team.
According to police officials, the tracing process involved call detail records, CCTV footage, and location tracking. In some cases, physical verification was conducted to confirm ownership before handing over the devices.
DCP (Central) Shravan Kumar Singh, who distributed the recovered phones at his office, said, “Our focus is not just on monetary recovery but also on preventing misuse of sensitive personal data.”
Recipients of the phones expressed gratitude for the swift recovery. Rashmi Pandey, one of the beneficiaries, said she did not expect her phone to be traced within 15 days. “I was worried about my data and its potential misuse. When I got a call from the police, I was taken over by disbelief,” she said.
Several other citizens echoed similar views, appreciating the police for safeguarding both their property and personal information.