The Government has finally pulled its finger out over the use of mobile phones in terror acts. Mobile operators have been ordered to stop selling phones with fake IMEI (Fake phone ID) numbers.
Phones carrying either fake IMEI numbers or not carrying one at all, have proven costly for the security agencies as intelligence spooks can neither track nor monitor the calls made from phones without proper security codes.
Now mobile operators have been ordered by the government to stop providing further connectivity to phones without IMEI numbers.
The problem originates with cheap Chinese mobiles available in Indian grey markets, which can be used by terrorists with no fear of inderdiction.
An IMEI number consists of 15-17 digits. Most branded handsets carry a genuine IMEI number. On SIM activation, the number gets registered with the GSM service provider. The handsets can be blocked at any time with the help of the IMEI number.
The cops had earlier been able to earmark the phones used in terror attacks,but it proved almost impossible to retrieve any details of ownership without IMEI numbers.
The endless bickering between rival Indian telecom regulatory authorities lies at the heart of the problem and it is high time the Government realised strong action was needed.