Thieves will find calls are barrred (From Penarth Times)

Thieves will find calls are barrred

PENARTH police have launched a high tech database in a bid to tackle the town's steep rise in mobile phone thefts.

The Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) has been set up to try to deal with the problem.

It provides a shared database to all the UK mobile networks which is updated every 24hrs.

Once a victim of a crime or loser contacts their mobile phone supplier the phones are barred across all the UK networks.

The barring uses the International Mobile Equipment Identity Number (IMEI) to disable the phone and it is therefore the phone handset that is barred, preventing it from operating, even if a new SIM card is inserted.

However, owners of mobile phones do not have to know their IMEI number when reporting the loss to the networks, they simply pass the mobile telephone number to the operators as the information is generally held by the mobile phone company".

Officers hope this latest weapon in the fight against crime, will help the reduce the number of phones stolen within the area.

Last year alone, there were 660 thefts reported in the area.

Vale of Glamorgan Divisional spokesman PC Rees said: "The message is clear, make your mobile phone worthless to thieves.

If your phone is stolen, report the number to your network provider as quickly as possible as the handset can now be barred on all networks."

Together with the barring of phones the government has introduced new legislation under the Mobile Telephones (Re-programming) Act 2002.

This creates new criminal offences of:

Changing, or interfering with, a mobile phone handset's IMEI number without the authorisation of the manufacturer.

Possessing, supplying or offering to supply equipment for that purpose.

These offences attract a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

Pc Rees added: "Officers throughout the country are also aware that a number of people are making false theft reports in respect of mobile phones in order to obtain a new upgraded phone from their networks, or simply to replace lost phones that are not covered by insurance policies.

"We are reminding those people that this wastes police time and resources and that anyone found making a fraudulent claim will be arrested and prosecuted.

If you have your mobile phone stolen the contact number for each of the Networks are listed: Orange: Contract 07973 100150, Pre-Pay 07973 100451.

Vodafone: Contract 07836 191191, Pre-Pay 08700 776655.O2 - 08705 214000. 'T' Mobile - 0845 4125000.Virgin Mobile - 0845 6000789.