LAHORE, Dec 19: Around 25,000 cell phones have either been snatched or stolen after the launch of the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) system in September this year.

The figure shows that there is no let-up in this category of crime despite the official claim that the new system will help bring the rate down.

Mobile phone snatching has become a routine affair and it indicates the total breakdown of the law and order.

Sources in the PTA told Dawn on Tuesday that it had so far jammed 24,880 cell phones after the launch of the IMEI. However, it was not confirmed as to how many of them had been functional again as there was a facility available in the market to decode the system.

Some PTA officials are of the view that there is a drop in cell phone-snatching incidence after the launch of the new system.

The IMEI is basically aimed at introducing a technology that blocks the use of a mobile phone as soon as it is stolen or snatched. The idea is to register identification/serial number of each sold mobile set and block use of a SIM in it at the request of a customer. Prior to this system, users used to get SIMs blocked in case of theft or snatching of mobile phones.

Surprisingly, the PTA has not yet realised that the system can easily be made ineffective. The situation has put more pressure on police and burdened them with another task of locating those involved in decoding the IMEI system.

The PTA officials say that the police should interact with cell phone dealers and organisations to devise a strategy to arrest those involved in decoding the system.

The PTA has also formed regulations to block the stolen or snatched mobile sets. After authentication of complaints and IMEIs, database is updated and sets concerned are jammed. All cell phone operators have also developed a system in this regard.