The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) have stepped up their efforts to stop people from cloning mobile devices and changing their IMEI numbers.
In a planned operation, authorities from the PTA Zonal Office Faisalabad and NCCIA raided a mobile shop in the D-Ground Dragon Mall mobile market. During the operation, two cloned mobile phones were taken, and the shop owner was arrested for being part in the unlawful activity.
Authorities have verified that other investigations are underway to find and take any other illegal goods associated to the case. No tolerance for tampering with IMEI The PTA said again that it has a zero-tolerance policy for changing mobile device identifiers without permission. Officials said that cloning devices and changing IMEIs are very dangerous for national security since they make it easier for criminals to hide their identities, which makes cybercrime, bank fraud, kidnappings, and other major crimes easier to do. People are being asked to report anything that seems strange. The regulatory authority has told people to stay alert and report anyone or any business they think might be involved in mobile cloning or tampering. A PTA representative warned,
“All violators will face strict legal consequences under the law.”
People can tell the PTA or the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) about suspicious activities directly or through the cybercrime sections that work for the FIA.
