Delhi police seize 3,500 mobile phones without IMEI number

Delhi police have seized over 3,500 mobile phones without unique identity numbers, mainly imported from China, following raids in the national capital and arrested 23 shopkeepers selling such handsets.

The seizure of 3,502 mobile phones and arrests came following raids at shops in Central Delhi after the government banned the use of mobile phones without the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number from this month.

"We have caught 23 people who were found selling sub-standard mobile phones without IMEI numbers and seized the phones alongwith a 'Spiderman Software Box' used for loading fake IMEI numbers on these sets," additional commissioner of police (crime) Neeraj Thakur said today.

These handsets are being mostly imported from China and their import and use has been declared illegal by the government.

The raids were conducted by more than 100 personnel in civil dress at 23 shops in Ganpati Plaza in Saraswati Marg in Karol Bagh at around 4:30 pm yesterday. It came following registration of a case by Crime Branch on a complaint received from Indian Cellular Association (ICA).

"We got a complaint that some people were involved in supplying counterfeit and sub-standard mobile phone handsets which do not have IMEI number. Yesterday, we conducted a series of raids in the electronics market," Thakur said.

According to estimates, 21 million handsets are in circulation across the country without the 15-digit unique identity number, which enables the security agencies to trace calls made from or received on such handsets. Every GSM mobile phone  is required to carry the unique identity number and it is allotted by the International GSM Association.

The IMEI Number of a GSM mobile phone instrument is printed inside the battery compartment of the instrument. The genuineness of the IMEI Number can be easily ascertained from the website www.numberingplans.com and also by sending the IMEI number by SMS to 53232 and 57662, Thakur said.     

"One of the important benefits of the IMEI number is the possibility of tracing the said mobile phone on the telecommunication network. On this account, the IMEI number has always played an important role in matters relating to law enforcement as well as national security," he said.

The Centre, on June 16, prohibited the import of mobile phones without a valid IMEI number. Prior to this, the Commissioner of Customs on August 28, 2008 had made it mandatory for traders and importers to declare IMEI number of mobile phones being imported by them.

The Department of Telecom (DoT) this year directed all service providers to disconnect such handsets from their networks on November 30.