Hyderabad, June 11: Two mobile phone technicians were nabbed for illegally transferring the unique International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers from discarded phones to China mobiles using special gadgets. The duo were charging Rs 300 to Rs 400 for the process that makes the non-IMEI phones usable.
Tampering of IMEI numbers is a serious crime involving the security of the state, police said.
The accused, Neelam Singh Rathod and K Kiran Kumar, run Neelam Gifts and Sound Centre respectively in Hong Kong Bazar at Paradise Circle in Secunderabad.
Neelam Singh, a native of Rajasthan, worked in an electronics shop here for about three years before setting up his own mobile sale and repair shop. He bought a special gadget from Kiran Kumar for Rs 5,000 and started implanting IMEI numbers in mobile phones for Rs 300 to Rs 400.
“Kiran Kumar had been doing this since December 2009 using a special gadget and software purchased illegally. He used to buy discarded phones for Rs 50 each and transfer their IMEI numbers to China mobiles,” Task Force DCP VB Kamalasan Reddy told reporters here on Wednesday. Kiran Kumar has also been supplying the IMEI numbers to Neelam Singh at Rs 100 per each number.
The duo were nabbed with the help of a decoy who got IMEI numbers transferred to his mobiles from them. The duo were handed over to the Mahankali police for further action.
Surrender tampered mobiles: Police
Police said the duo have implanted over 400 IMEI numbers and appealed to those got those mobile phones to surrender them. “We have got the list of IMEI numbers implanted in other phones. We will trace them out and take action against the phone users. However, they will be spared if they surrender the mobile phones to the local police,” DCP Kamalasan Reddy said.
–Agencies