Govt to introduce helpline to block stolen phones using IMEI: Report

In an attempt to stop theft and cloning of mobile phones in the country, the Telecom Ministry is set to roll out a Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR), according to a report by The Indian Express.

According to the report, the register will hold database of International Mobile Equipment Identities (IMEIs). IMEIs are 15-digit numbers that uniquely identify each mobile device.

This is expected to be implemented in the coming weeks. Consumers in India whose mobile phones were lost or stolen can inform the Department of Telecom (DoT) using a helpline number, after filing a police complaint.

The department will be able to then blacklist the IMEI number. This would effectively block the mobile device from accessing any cellular network in the future, the report suggests.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.

Besides this, the other objective the CEIR is to facilitate “IMEI-based lawful interception”.

According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) data, India had 1.16 billion wireless subscribers as of March 2019.

A DoT office memorandum detailing the project, which was accessed by the newspaper, suggests: “The theft and cloning of mobile phones have become a serious problem. The theft of mobile phones is not just a financial loss but also a threat to personal life of the citizens as well as national security. Counterfeit mobile phones in the market are another issue for DoT. A substantial number of counterfeit mobile phones are active in our mobile networks with fake IMEI numbers”.

The 2019-20 Interim Budget allocated Rs 15 crore to the DoT for the CEIR project.