Government issues notices on illegal mobile handsets new

Addressing security concerns, the centre has notified the customs department to only allow imports of mobile handsets after the declaration of the 'international mobile equipment identity' (IMEI) numbers of each handset.

Separately has the department of telecommunications has also directed all the cellular mobile service providers to make the provision of authentications on mobile handsets with IMEI number for GSM networks and the 'electronic serial number' (ESN) for CDMA networks.

Following the recent terrorist strikes in Mumbai, minister of state for communications and information technology Jyotiraditya Scindia told the Lok Sabha this week that henceforth all mobile handsets available in the country wouldhave to carry the IEMI number, which can be identified on the operator's network whenever a call is made from that particular handset.