CEIR to Roll Out Across India to Combat Mobile Phone Theft

Reported by Tanuja K May 15th, 2023 at 10:24 am

To avail of the CEIR's services, users must file a First Information Report (FIR) at the nearest police station and fill out an online form on the CEIR website or app. The form requires essential details like mobile number, device model, IMEI 1 and 2 numbers, and location information where the phone was lost.

Highlights

The CEIR was deployed across all states and union territories in March of this year, and it is set to be rolled out to all districts starting May 17.
CEIR, the Central Equipment Identity Registry, will soon be rolled out across India to help combat mobile phone theft.
It is important to note that IMEI blocking does not impede the police from tracking the lost or stolen phone.

CEIR

CEIR, the Central Equipment Identity Registry, will soon be rolled out across India to help combat mobile phone theft. This system was developed and is managed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and allows citizens to block their smartphones in case of theft. Once the mobile is blocked, the government can track and retrieve the phone. The CEIR connects to the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) database of all mobile operators and efficiently blocks or blacklists stolen phones based on their IMEI numbers. This makes the phones unusable, even if the thief changes the SIM card.

The CEIR was deployed across all states and union territories in March of this year, and it is set to be rolled out to all districts starting May 17, said a PTI report. The system is an essential tool for law enforcement agencies to combat mobile phone theft, which is a common problem in India. The CEO and Chairman of the Project Board at CDoT, Rajkumar Upadhyay, stated that the CEIR system is ready for pan-India deployment and that it will be able to block any cloned mobile phones on the network with the help of various databases.

How to Use CEIR to Block a Phone

To avail of the CEIR's services, users must file a First Information Report (FIR) at the nearest police station and fill out an online form on the CEIR website or app. The form requires essential details like mobile number, device model, IMEI 1 and 2 numbers, and location information where the phone was lost. A scanned copy of the FIR is also requested on the CEIR website. Once the blocking request is successfully submitted, the user's phone gets blocked within 24 hours, making it unusable on any network throughout India.

It is important to note that IMEI blocking does not impede the police from tracking the lost or stolen phone. Users can also check the status of their complaints through the CEIR website. With the CEIR's deployment across the entire country, the system is expected to make a significant contribution to reducing the number of mobile phone thefts. The CEIR is an important tool in the fight against mobile phone theft and is expected to be widely used by Indian citizens.