Bapatla Police Recover ₹40 Lakh Worth Lost Mobile Phones
The police also cautioned against buying second-hand phones without proper bills and urged the public to hand over found devices to the nearest station
VIJAYAWADA: Bapatla superintendent of police B. Umamaheshwar announced the recovery and return of 201 lost or stolen mobile phones worth ₹40.2 lakh during a special hand-back programme on Tuesday.
The SP said that the initiative was part of a district-wide drive against mobile theft, with a dedicated police team working alongside the IT core team to trace devices using advanced technology. In February 2026 alone, 201 phones were recovered. Over the past three months, a total of 806 phones valued at ₹1.61 crore have been retrieved, raising the recovery rate from 30% to nearly 60%, he said.
SP Umamaheshwar emphasised the importance of timely recovery, noting that mobile phones often store sensitive personal information, including banking details and passwords. Citizens were advised to report lost devices at local police stations or via the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal.
The police also cautioned against buying second-hand phones without proper bills and urged the public to hand over found devices to the nearest station.
The programme was attended by DSPs P. Jagadeesh Naik, Md. Moin, and A. Srinivasa Rao, along with other officials