The Ernakulam Rural police have traced 224 missing mobile phones in the past 10 days in a special operation with the assistance of the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal under the Department of Telecommunications.

Of the 224 phones, the North Paravur police found 27, followed by 18 traced by the Aluva police. While the Muvattupuzha police detected 17 phones, Njarackal and Perumbavoor police found 13 each, the rural police said in a communication.

Through the CEIR portal, the police and the public can place a request to block the international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) number of a device which is stolen or lost. A user is required to first file a police complaint and then report the loss/theft of mobile phones through the web portal www.ceir.gov.in or https://www.sancharsaathi.gov.in or the Sanchar Saathi mobile app, according to the CEIR user manual.

The IMEI number of the device will be blocked within 24 hours, and other users will not be able to use the handset then. Once any SIM is used in the blocked IMEI number, the network provider would receive the notification, and the same would be intimated to the police and the owner of the handset. The police can eventually track the device using location details and the mobile number shared with them.

“The phones that we traced include those bought from shops selling used devices. Once a device is recovered through the CEIR portal, there won’t usually be any legal proceedings,” Aluva Station House Officer Manuraj G.P. said.