Police officials in Ludhiana achieved a significant breakthrough this week. They returned 174 mobile phones to their rightful owners. These devices were either stolen or snatched by criminals during 2025.
Major Recovery Operation in Industrial Area
The Jamalpur police station organized a special handover ceremony on Monday. Assistant Commissioner of Police Inderjit Singh Boparai supervised the entire process. He leads the Industrial Area A division.
ACP Boparai addressed the gathering of citizens who received their phones. He emphasized the dual impact of such thefts. "Losing a mobile phone is not merely a financial setback," Boparai stated. "It often involves the loss of sensitive private data stored on the device."
Technical Support and Proactive Policing
The recovery operation relied heavily on technical expertise. Police teams collaborated with the technical support unit. Together, they managed to trace and retrieve the 174 mobile phones. All these devices were reported stolen or snatched last year.
An interesting pattern emerged during the investigation. ACP Boparai explained that many victims did not follow through with formal complaints. They informed the police control room or visited Suvidha Centres. However, they often stopped short of registering official First Information Reports (FIRs).
"We decided to act on these initial inputs," Boparai revealed. Police teams initiated investigations on their own motion. This suo motu action proved highly effective. Officers successfully traced the locations of the missing devices.
Phones Resold and Actively in Use
The investigation uncovered another layer to these thefts. Several of the recovered phones had entered the second-hand market. Unaware buyers had purchased them from the original thieves.
"Our technical surveillance showed these phones were actively being used," the ACP noted. Police teams then tracked down the current users. They explained the situation and recovered the devices. The rightful owners expressed immense relief upon getting their property back.
This operation highlights a shift in police methodology in Ludhiana. Authorities are now leveraging technology more aggressively. They are also taking proactive steps even without formal complaints. The successful return of 174 mobile phones sets a positive precedent for future cases.
