Indian Government bans imports on mobile handsets with duplicate IMEI numbers


The Government of India has banned the imports of mobile handsets in the country with duplicate or fake unique identity numbers.

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The move is aimed at improving security and assisting tracking callers using different SIM cards.The GSM Association and Telecommunications Industry Association are global bodies that provide unique numbers to mobile handset companies. An IMEI comprises 15-digit codes assigned to a handset and it appears on the operator’s network whenever a call is made.

“GSM mobile handsets with duplicate IMEI or fake IMEI & ‘CDMA mobile handsets’ with duplicate ESN (Electronic Serial Number)/MEID (Mobile Equipment Identifier) or fake ESN/MEID are added to the list of ‘Prohibited’ items for import,”

Director General of Foreign Trade said in a notification, reported The Economic Times.

The initiative is aimed at checking proliferation of mobile handsets with duplicate or cloned IMEI numbers, which are dangerous for national security and can be a nation threat. Mobile phones without the unique security code are making inroads into the grey market by cloning the IMEI numbers of genuine sets.

“We welcome any crackdown in fake IMEI or grey market. The implementation of this notification on gorund will have to be handled with great care so that ease of business is not hampered while curbing grey market,”

said Indian Cellular Association National President Pankaj Mohindroo.

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Author: Sneha Bokil

Sneha Bokil is a tech enthusiast and is currently using OnePlus 3T but she still treasures her Nokia N70 (M). You can follow her on Twitter @snehabokil and on Google+