June 11, 2025: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) successfully conducted two raids in Gujranwala, targeting individuals involved in smartphone IMEI tampering. These operations, executed in close coordination with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and local police.
The first raid took place at Google Valley Mobile Plaza in Model Town, seizing 19 tampered/cloned phones, and the arrest of the shop owner. The second operation unfolded at Musa Mobile in Main Market, Gujranwala. Where six tampered devices were confiscated, the shop owner, unfortunately, managed to evade capture.
Among the confiscated devices, investigators found a phone with an IMEI linked to Disney Mobile, a brand not officially available in Pakistan. The seized phones included high-value models like Google Pixel, OnePlus, Motorola, and a Samsung S23 Ultra. All these premium devices had their original IMEIs cunningly reconfigured to match those of lower-priced phones.
FIRs have been lodged for both incidents, and investigations are actively underway. These successful raids are part of PTA’s persistent efforts to combat the illegal grey market for mobile phones. The PTA’s Device Identification, Registration, and Blocking System (DIRBS) continues to be a crucial tool in identifying and blocking unregistered or illegally imported phones, safeguarding the integrity of the nation’s telecommunications network.
