Cheap Chinese mobile phones pose threat to India

According to a government source, the Intelligence Bureau (IB), which is investigating the recent terrorist attacks that took place in India, fake IMEI numbers make it almost impossible for the law enforcement agencies and investigators to track down suspicious calls.

"SIM card details can be traced from a mobile phone only if it has a valid IMEI number," a government official said, on conditions of anonymity.

"An IMEI number consists of 15-17 digits. Genuine branded phones carry valid IMEI numbers. When the SIM card in a mobile phone gets activated, the IMEI number gets automatically registered with the GSM service provider and it becomes possible to trace a call and find out the caller's identity and the location from where the call was made," the official said.

By using the IMEI number, the security agencies not only can block the handset, but also retrieve call details from the recovered handset.

Even CDMA mobile phones have an electronic serial number equivalent to the IMEI number in GSM mobile phones.

"However, most of the China-make mobile phones carry fake IMEI numbers. In some case, several of such handsets have the same IMEI number. In such cases, it becomes virtually impossible to extract information about the calls made from these mobile phones," the official said.

Another problem, the official said, is that these cheap Chinese imitations are generally sold in gray markets without bills or proper verification made of the buyer and investigators find it a difficult task in identifying the buyers.

In Delhi, these 'Made in China' mobile phones are sold in Palika Bazaar in Connaught Place and Gaffar Market in Karol Bagh.

The official said that these cheap handsets are becoming a security risk and IB has recommended to the Home Ministry and Department of Telecommunications (DOT) to ban the sales of such handsets immediately.

According to the Indian Cellular Association (ICA), these Chinese handsets also lead to over $1 billion of losses every year, borne by mobile manufacturers, distributors and retailers.

"Duplicate handsets are not only being sold in small towns but also in big cities. The prices of these mobile phones are less than the genuine ones and so customers are tempted to buy these, resulting in losses to the branded manufacturers," Pankaj Mahindroo, president, ICA, said.

"However, customers who believe they have got a good deal, are, sadly, mistaken. These Chinese handsets do not do not have proper IMEI numbers that stand for quality and reliability. These mobile phones claim to have features that are actually not present in the handset. They are also generally sold without bill or warranty. So customers end up being duped," Mahindroo said.

Most importantly, Mahindroo said, these mobile phones also pose a health risk as they do not comply with global radiation emission norms.