July 24, 2003

The popularity of cellular phones continues to grow and so does the number of their thefts, reports Shanaz Ramzi

Over the last couple of years the use of mobile telephones has increased phenomenally, so much so that a large spectrum of people ranging from plumbers and chauffeurs to business executives, housewives and teenagers can be seen sporting it almost as if it were being distributed for free. But hand in hand with this widespread usage is its downside — the marked increase in the number of mobile thefts in the city.

According to Moeen Khan, owner of a Paktel Point franchise, an average of 10 cases come to him daily for closure of telephone lines, such is the increase in cell phone thefts. He claims that on an average, all mobile telephone companies, block 25 lines on a daily basis owing to mobile thefts.

Kevin Roderigues, In charge Customer Service at Paktel, cites a slightly more conservative figure. He opines that on an average telephone companies are blocking 15 cell phones lines on a daily basis, owing to thefts. He also holds that there has been a drastic increase in phone thefts over the last four months.

Mohsin Khan, dealer of mobile telephones, admits that mobile thefts have become very common these days and explains the reason — by stealing mobiles one is guaranteeing oneself quick and easy money.

If one steals a wallet, there is always the chance that one may not get too much from it, as people are vary of carrying cash these days.

However, a stolen mobile will fetch a minimum of Rs1500 if sold in the market, and is the easiest thing to snatch from a person, especially if the victim is waiting at a traffic light.

Although cellular phones are stolen from all kinds of places these days — schools, restaurants and offices to name a few venues — the most frequent cases of mobile thefts are reported from traffic signals, when people are caught unaware while chatting on the phone and within seconds are deprived of their immediate link with the world.

Ahsan Hussain describes his harrowing experience, “I was at a signal at Tariq Road, with my windows completely rolled down and my phone was lying on top of my dashboard. Two young, good-looking and well-dressed boys pulled up on their motorbike very close to my car and before I knew what was happening, one had slid his hand onto the dashboard and grabbed the phone. They took off, winding their way between lanes with me in hot pursuit, but not only did I not manage to catch them, I wound up bashing up my car in the process.”

Noman Rathore underwent a similar traumatic experience when he was returning from work on foot, some evenings ago. He says he noticed three young men standing around at a motor mechanic shop staring at him but although he felt uneasy, he chose to ignore them and walked on.

He had hardly reached up to the KPT building when they intercepted him on motorbike, brandished a gun at him and snatched his mobile phone, which had been protruding out of the side-pocket of his trousers. It was a crowded street, and they didn’t bother to waste time relieving him of any other possession, so the entire episode took just a matter of seconds.

Ahmed Sagir was sitting outside his house with his friends near the Hussaini Blood Bank in Soldier Bazaar area at about 9 p.m., when he too, was deftly deprived of his cell, by three young men on a motorbike.

One of the men on the bike pointed a gun at them and asked if any of them were carrying a mobile. While the others lied that they weren’t, he admitted the truth and they not only snatched the phone, but also slapped him across his face before taking off with the phone.

Of course, losing your phone at gunpoint is always more distressing than just having your phone flicked without you realizing it until it is too late. Undoubtedly, the loss is as great, but at least you have been spared the trauma of having a nozzle aimed at your head.

There has been, of late, a radical increase in the number of cellular thefts from one’s workplace, so much so that people have reported phones having been stolen from one’s desk. Jawed Lotia, for example, left his mobile on his table and went to conduct an inspection round of his factory. When he returned, he found his phone gone.

There are also numerous instances of people forgetting their phones in banks, on restaurant tables or in washrooms of hotels/restaurants. In majority of the cases the victims complain that they realized their mistake within minutes but when they returned to the spot, their phone had vanished.

Of course complaining to the management seldom yields results. Talib Halai has lost two of his instruments once at a multinational bank and once at a restaurant, while Hamza lost his telephone set at an eatery.

Interestingly enough, children are also stealing mobiles these days. According to Moeen Khan, Afghan kids are responsible for a number of mobile thefts in the Saddar area.

Moreover, cell phones are also being brazenly stolen almost daily under the watchful eyes of its dealers in Saddar. In such thefts, there is no threat to anyone’s life and nor does anyone sneak off with the phone.

The culprits pose as customers, usually working in pairs and while one stands at the counter, scrutinizing the various models, the other waits for him on a motorbike. Since, the shopkeeper has no way of ascertaining if the man before him is a genuine customer or not, he obliges the crook by showing him his stock, who takes off with at least one of the phones at the first opportunity he gets.

Says Mohsin Khan, “We bear the brunt of mobile thefts in more ways than one. Obviously, we purchase used mobiles all the time and victims too, are aware that sooner or later their mobiles will find their way to our shops. They lodge an FIR and then keep coming to the shops to check if their cells have been sold to us. Often, they discover them and then bring the police to retrieve their stolen property, and we have no option but to bear the loss and hand over the phones. Sometimes, even crooks in connivance with the police, stake a claim on our phones and we have no way of proving that the instruments don’t belong to them.”

According to Khan, in order to safeguard themselves, the mobile dealers in Saddar have all been sent a circular through their association, not to purchase phones from anyone without taking a copy of their national ID card and noting down their address and telephone contact.

However, greed gets the better of many shopkeepers who are willing to take the risk and purchase a bargain, be it from a thief, rather than pass up the opportunity by putting off potential sellers and asking for cumbersome details.

He recalls a recent case in which a man was robbed of two expensive mobile sets on his way back from clearing their bills at a mobile service centre. It didn’t take the victim long to trace his unique phones at the telephone market, where they were being sold with the original telephone numbers. Of course, the foolhardy shopkeeper, who had not bothered to take down the relevant information from the seller, had to suffer the loss.

Says Roderigues, “Initially, we used to feed the electronic serial number of the telephones into our system, so it was still possible to trace the original purchaser through us, if one wished to. However with change in policies, no company does that anymore and it is the easiest thing for thieves to programme another number on the stolen phones and have the original washed out, or go to the phone market and get a new number. With GSM phones, it is even easier, as all you have to do is purchase a new SIM card to change the phone number.”

With more and more people using cellular phones by the day, it seems that mobile thefts is a phenomenon that is likely to be part of our lives probably for a long, long time.

The only precautionary measures that one can take to avoid becoming a victim is not speaking on the phone at traffic signals, especially with the car windows rolled down. One should also avoid carrying one’s cell in a conspicuous manner so as not to draw unnecessary attention to it. And hope and pray for the best!

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