Angul Police return 230 lost, stolen mobile phones valued at around Rs 40 lakh

In a major success under ‘Operation Smile’, Angul Police have recovered and returned 230 lost and stolen smartphones to their rightful owners on Sunday. This marks the third phase of the initiative aimed at tracing missing and stolen mobile phones.

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According to official sources, for the handover, a special distribution camp for lost and recovered mobile phones was organised at the office premises of the Superintendent of Police (SP) in Angul. Owners who had earlier reported their phones either missing or stolen received their devices during the event.

Police officials said the total value of the recovered smartphones is estimated to be nearly Rs 40 lakh.

Earlier, Angul Police had returned 226 smartphones worth around Rs 45 lakh in two separate phases.

With this initiative, the district police have not only helped the citizens recover valuable property but also strengthened public trust in law enforcement. Officials said such drives will continue in the future to track lost devices and curb mobile-related crimes.

“This is the third time that we are handing over mobile phones to their rightful owners. Angul SP had previously issued a WhatsApp number, which is now giving good results,” the Central Range Police IG, Satyabrata Bhoi, said to mediapersons.

“We will intensify the drive in the days ahead. I appeal to the people to report any lost and stolen cases immediately to the police,” the senior cop expressed.

Worth mentioning, earlier in another incident, Khordha Police had recovered at least 28 mobile phones that were either stolen or reported missing at different times. The police had returned them to their rightful owners.

The handover had taken place during a presser held at Khordha SP’s office on December 15 last year.