Lahore police ordered to crack down on phone IMEI tampering

Lahore police have been ordered to launch a crackdown on people who change the IMEI numbers of stolen mobile phones, a practice used to disguise stolen handsets and resell them. Dawn and Daily Times reported the directive. TechJuice reported a similar operation in Islamabad, citing the same officer. The move aims to disrupt organised phone theft networks across the city, according to Daily Times.

Every mobile phone carries a unique 15-digit International Mobile Equipment Identity number that stays with the device even when the SIM is changed or the phone is reset. Criminal networks alter these numbers to hide stolen phones and resell them, which is why the numbers are the focus of the new operation, according to the reports.

Capital City Police Officer Bilal Siddique Kamyana issued the orders during a meeting convened to review measures against organised theft gangs and strengthen surveillance at known crime hotspots, the outlets said. Participants discussed geofencing theft-prone areas and expanding surveillance coverage there. They also reviewed how human intelligence and modern technology could be better combined to prevent and detect theft.

Officers agreed to send additional personnel to identified hotspots, increase patrolling and run plainclothes decoy operations to catch offenders in the act. The CCPO ordered police to arrest people involved in pickpocketing and mobile phone theft and ensure they are prosecuted. He also called for heightened surveillance of pickpockets in crowded markets, public gatherings and on public transport.

Police were told to trace criminal networks by backtracking recovered phones to the point where they were stolen or sold. The CCPO ordered strict verification of identity documents and transaction records at mobile phone sale points, and firm action against those involved in the illegal trade of stolen phones and spare parts.

Dawn and Daily Times located the crackdown in Lahore, while TechJuice described the directive as coming from Islamabad police. The reports did not explain the difference.