The telecom watchdog agency, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has approved a policy to discourage use of snatched and stolen mobile handsets. The Regional Director of PTA, Col Rizwan Hyderi, told Business Recorder on Monday that mobile phones theft and snatching were becoming a menace and a major problem particularly in Karachi. It is also a key driver behind robberies and other crimes occurring in the city, and it was estimated that on the average over a hundred mobile phones were being stolen or snatched on daily basis.
To combat this serious situation, it has been decided to implement the following policy, with the help of all stakeholders, as Phase-I in Karachi.
In case of handset theft, the subscriber will inform police 'Helpline-15' and Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) on Phone no. 5682222 to register complaint by providing the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number and personal details. The mobile users will obtain the case number of complaint from police helpline 15.
In this regard, the CPLC has already developed software to maintain the record of stolen and snatched mobile phones.
According to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of new approved policy, the responsibilities of the stakeholders shall be as under:
-- Sindh Government will educate the public on how to prevent their mobile phones from being stolen and what to do in case of handset snatched.
-- The mobile phone set holders will also be educated how to retrieve and record International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number of their mobile sets.
-- On the subscribers side, in case of theft, the subscriber will inform police helpline-15, Citizen-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) on phone no. 5682222 to register complaint, giving IMEI number and his particulars.
-- The police helpline will register the complaint, record it and give case number to the complainant while ensuring his credentials.
-- The police helpline will provide the data of all recorded complaints to CPLC to save the record in its data base.
-- The CPLC will obtain the information regarding stolen mobile sets from various sources (like individual complaints, Police Helpline 15, etc) and inform all Cellular Mobile Telephone Operators (CMTOs), while providing the IMEI numbers and other related details for entering the stolen IMEI numbers on their GSM network for blocking any SIM inserted in those stolen, snatched mobile phones.
-- CPLC will record the IMEI numbers of stolen phones and will share the information with other law enforcing agencies (LEA) and members of Karachi Electronic Dealers Association who deal in second-hand mobile phone sets.
-- CPLC will be responsible for authenticity of complaints and CMTO will block or reactivate the SIMs only after written instructions or clearance acquired from CPLC.
-- The cellular mobile companies on receiving the IMEI numbers of stolen phone sets will enter them on their GSM network and block any SIM used in the stolen mobile sets.
-- Before blocking the SIM, concerned mobile company will send an SMS to the subscriber informing him that he is using a stolen or snatched mobile phone set for which his SIM is being blocked and he may contact CPLC on phone no. 5682222 for clearance.
-- The format of SMS will be: "Dear Customer! You are using stolen/snatched phone. Your SIM is being blocked. Contact CPLC-5682222 for information/clearance".
-- The CMTOs will block or reactivate SIM only on receiving written instructions from CPLC. The cellular mobile companies will also educate their subscribers how to retrieve and record the IMEI number of their mobile sets through SMS/media.
-- Each CMTO will designate an officer at Karachi for co-ordination/liaison with CPLC.
-- They will intimate his name, designation, address and contact numbers to CPLC under intimation to PTA within 10 days of issue of this policy. Both CPLC and PTA will be updated in case the designated officer is changed.
-- The mobile handset dealers, after receiving the information about stolen phone sets, will also prepare the database for stolen mobile phone IMEI numbers to prevent purchase, sale of these sets.
-- They will also inform law enforcing agencies and CPLC in case stolen mobile sets are tracked/detected.
-- The PTA will instruct the mobile companies to cooperate-with the CPLC and enter the IMEI number of stolen phone sets on their GSM network and block their operation.
-- The PTA Zonal Office will render every possible assistance, technical support, if required to Sindh Government.