NEW DELHI: Phone snatching has been a common street crime in the Capital for several years now. They are, in fact, so regular, that many such cases go down the drain within a few months, with most phones never to be seen again.
However, in a bid to trace phones stolen or snatched within the last year, a team of South West Delhi Police are now re-checking the last known locations of such phones.
Police sources told Millennium Post that the team is sending IMEI numbers of such phones to the telecom network providers to find out whether the phone has been active in recent times.
Through this, police believe, they could get clues for the phones' whereabouts.
"By sending IMEI details, we told the concerned department to check which phone is being used the phone and it helps in tracing," said police source.
To this extent, cops have also submitted written requests to network providers.
Sources claimed that within 10-15 days, police will send all IMEI details of snatched phone.
After snatching a phone, thieves switch them off for a while so that cops cannot zero in on them. After some months, the thieves may switch the phone on, by which time the case is usually closed.
Police have monitored the modus operandi several snatchers, based on which steps have been taken to curb the menace. After collecting the IMEI details of a stolen phone, police send it to the service providers to find relevant clues.
Deputy Commissioner of police (South West) Shibesh Singh told Millennium Post that they are taking every step to ensure safety and security of residents, which have proved to be vital.
Highly placed police sources said that the accused involved in snatching gangs often steal phones in large numbers, after which the phones are smuggled through illegal routes to other Asian countries.
Before the phones are shipped off to other countries, police are trying to find out whether snatchers sometime sent the phone without making a change in the mobile parts.
In many cases, the IMEI number is tampered with, which proves to be another challenge for law enforcement agencies.