In a major crackdown on mobile phone cloning and IMEI tampering, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Zonal Office Lahore, in collaboration with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Gujranwala, conducted two successful raids in Gujranwala.
The operation targeted shops involved in illegal reprogramming and sale of tampered mobile devices.
The first raid took place at Google Valley Mobile Plaza in Model Town, where authorities seized 19 cloned or tampered mobile phones.
The shop owner was arrested on the spot. In a second raid at Musa Mobile in Main Market, officials confiscated 6 tampered devices, although the shop owner managed to escape by blending into a crowd that had gathered during the operation.
Among the confiscated devices was a mobile phone carrying an IMEI number linked to Disney Mobile— a brand not officially available in Pakistan.
Other seized devices included high-end models such as the Samsung S23 Ultra, Google Pixel, OnePlus, and Motorola phones, all of which had been reprogrammed with IMEIs from low-cost phones.
First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered, and further investigations are underway to dismantle the illegal network behind these activities.
The PTA reaffirmed its strict zero-tolerance policy against IMEI tampering and mobile phone cloning. Such illegal practices not only violate regulatory standards but also present significant threats to national security and public safety.
Cloned phones can be used to facilitate criminal activities, including cybercrime, financial fraud, kidnapping, and other serious offenses, by concealing the true identity of users.
The telecom regulator has urged citizens to remain alert and report any suspicious activity involving cloned or tampered devices. Public cooperation is crucial in curbing these illegal operations, the PTA emphasized.
Regulatory authorities are intensifying enforcement actions, and offenders will face severe legal consequences. The PTA continues to work closely with law enforcement agencies to combat mobile phone fraud and protect consumers from the risks posed by unauthorized device alterations.