Police return 52 cellphones to owners in West Champaran

Bettiah: A joint effort by the District Intelligence Unit (DIU) and the police brought smiles to the faces of 35 cellphone owners on Tuesday afternoon, as Bettiah SP Shaurya Suman returned their recovered handsets during an official programme at the SP's office in Bettiah.As part of the ongoing "Operation Muskaan" by Bettiah police, a total of 52 cellphones—either stolen or lost—worth over Rs 10 lakh were handed back to their rightful owners. Since Jan 2025, the joint team of the DIU and Bettiah police has successfully retrieved and returned 365 such cellphones, valued at around Rs 53 lakh.Bettiah SP Shaurya Suman said that Operation Muskaan involved mobile tracking through technical support and teamwork. “As a result, 365 mobile phones were recovered in a short time, with a total value estimated at Rs 53 lakh. He further said that this campaign is not limited to mobile phone recovery; it has also strengthened crime control and a sense of security among the public,” he said.He appealed to citizens to immediately report their lost or stolen mobile phones to the nearest police station or cyber cell. Timely information increases the likelihood of recovery. Police have assured that Operation Muskaan will continue to provide relief to as many people as possible.