KARACHI, Jan 3: The Citizen-Police Liaison Committee on Monday formally launched a help line to receive and compile a databank of the mobile phone sets which would help check incidents of their snatching, the CPLC chief Sharfuddin Memon said.

Briefing reporters in his office, he said that the CPLC had the expertise needed for handling the database of the vehicles and FIRs being registered on a daily basis. He said that the CPLC could manage the data of the stolen and snatched mobile phones and identify areas where this crime was on the rise to help the police control this crime in specific areas.

He said some areas have been identified, such as Babar Market in Landhi, Korangi, Khadda Market in Lyari, and Sohrab Goth, where sale of stolen mobile phone is carried out.

Referring to the software (m:track), prepared by a private mobile phone dealer, in collaboration with the Karachi Electronic Market Association, he said that the CPLC doesn't want a confrontation with the electronic market association or any of its members.

He said that people repose confidence in the CPLC in providing personal information which is kept secret in the database of the CPLC. He said that people can register their mobile phone sets with the m: track and it has been decided in successive meetings that the KEDA would provide the information to the CPLC and their databank would be synchronized with the CPLC.

Mr Memon said that people can dial the police Madadgar 15 or the CPLC help line number 5682222 and register their sets with the databank or they can also lodge a complaint about stealing or snatching of their mobile phone sets.

The modalities and procedures to synchronize the databank with the KEDA was in the process as without the help of KEDA and shopkeepers, the CPLC and the police cannot effectively control illegal sale of the stolen mobile phone sets.

TPO Sanaullah Abbasi, who was also present, said the police were coordinating between the m:track and the CPLC for preparing a comprehensive databank. He appreciated the efforts of the CPLC and said that their efforts would help police control the crime of mobile phone snatching and stealing.

He said the CPLC had written to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to ask the mobile phone companies to use the technology to jam stolen cell phone sets. He said that the PTA had assured them that a policy was being devised in this respect.

Responding to a question, he said that incidents of mobile phone snatching and stealing were on the decline since the government had given importance to check the incidents.

He said that the CPLC had started monitoring mobile phone crime in different areas of the city and would find a pattern which would help the police locate the culprits involved.

Dr Abbasi corroborated the statement of Mr Memon, and said that the police had nabbed several gangs of mobile phone snatchers and some two or three suspects were killed during police encounters.