By Mustafa Ali
Islamabad: In a major crackdown on illegal tampering, cloning, and selling of mobile phone IMEIs, PTA Zonal Office Faisalabad, in collaboration with FIA (CCRC), conducted three successful raids at key mobile phone retail and repair shops in Faisalabad’s commercial hub (Kacheri Bazar, Clock Tower).
Seventeen patched handsets were recovered from two retail shops, while one bait handset and a laptop with Chimera software—used for IMEI tampering—were confiscated from a repair shop. Five individuals were arrested and FIRs lodged by FIA.
These decisive actions are part of PTA’s ongoing commitment to combat telecom fraud, prevent exchequer losses, and mitigate national security risks. Illegally tampered phones pose serious threats by enabling untraceable communications used in cybercrime, financial fraud, abduction, and other illicit activities.
Despite the growth in local mobile phone manufacturing, the prevalence of non-PTA phones remains a concern. In 2024, Pakistan produced 31.38 million mobile devices locally, fulfilling 95% of the country’s mobile phone demand. This marks a significant increase from previous years, with local manufacturing meeting 67% of demand on average over the past five years and 47% over the past eight years.
