Cebu City police recovered 154 mobile phones believed stolen or lost during the Sinulog Festival, thanks to Apple’s Find My app. The devices were traced to a repair shop in Barangay Pahina Central in Cebu City through the app’s location tracking feature.
According to investigators, most of the recovered units were iPhones, including the latest iPhone 17 models. Police said the Find My app played a key role in pinpointing the shop where the phones were stored. The shop owner was arrested, while the landlord is also under investigation.
Authorities suspect a group of skilled technicians targeted iPhones because of their strong security systems. Stolen devices were reportedly bought for as low as PHP 5,000, reset, and resold in malls.
More than 100 people have already visited the Cebu City Police Office to check if their phones were among those recovered. As of January 21, 98 devices were identified by owners, while 56 remain unclaimed. To reclaim a phone, owners must file an Affidavit of Loss.
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Police warned those involved in phone theft and resale to surrender the stolen devices. They also said Cebu City’s “sole hacker” has been caught, with follow-up operations ongoing.
