Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Bhopal police have failed to recover nearly 88% of stolen or lost mobile phones in 2025, exposing serious gaps in enforcement as mobile theft in the state capital transforms into an organised and cross-border crime network.
Official data shows that despite tracing thousands of devices through national surveillance systems, only around 12 % of mobile phones reported missing in the city were actually recovered.
Investigations by police surveillance teams have revealed that mobile phones stolen or snatched in Bhopal are rarely sold locally. Instead, they are being trafficked to neighbouring countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Once activated outside India, recovery becomes almost impossible, even when the devices are successfully tracked.
How the smuggling network operates
According to police findings, stolen phones are first collected at the local level and then transported to major cities such as Mumbai, Kerala, West Bengal and Kolkata. From these hubs, the devices are smuggled across international borders. In several cases, phones traced through the CEIR system were found active abroad, putting them beyond the reach of local law enforcement.
Dismantling defeats IMEI tracking
A significant number of stolen phones are dismantled soon after theft. Key components such as motherboards and displays are separated and sold in the grey market. This process deactivates or disrupts IMEI numbers, removing the devices from tracking systems and sharply reducing the chances of recovery.
Bhopal’s Year-wise Recovery Record
Data from the Sanchar Saathi and CEIR portals up to end of November 2025 shows that the capital has consistently struggled with mobile recovery. In 2022, police recovered 850 phones out of 5,112 complaints. Recoveries fell to 703 in 2023 against 6,500 complaints and remained around 700 in 2024, keeping the recovery rate between 10 and 12 percent. In 2025, only 379 phones were recovered through help desks and CEIR-led operations.
Police data highlights the gap
Madhya Pradesh recorded 1,51,104 complaints of stolen or lost mobile phones. While 1,00,488 phones were traced, only 34,818 were recovered, resulting in a statewide recovery rate of 34.66 percent. Bhopal’s performance remains far below the state average.
Bhopal Police Commissioner Harinarayanchari Mishra said that keeping a mobile phone found on the street is a criminal offence. He urged citizens to alert the nearest police station if anyone attempts to sell a mobile phone at a suspiciously low price, stressing that public cooperation is vital to curbing the growing mobile theft racket.
