A central database of mobile phone identification numbers is being considered to deter the sale of phones stolen in Hong Kong on the black market. Similar databases of International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) have been adopted in countries such as Britain and Australia to try to stop a rocketing trade in stolen mobiles. In Australia, more than 200,000 mobiles a year are reported lost or stolen, while in the UK the figure is more than 700,000 - 50 per cent of all street crime. The Office of the Telecommunications Authority said an IMEI database could allow mobile operators to block calls from stolen phones. 'Ofta is now working closely with the police and the mobile operators on the feasibility and merits of establishing such a database in Hong Kong,' a spokeswoman for the authority said. 'However, we do not have a specific timetable for the implementation of the database yet.' Ofta will require all 2G mobile operators to act on suspected phone thefts as part of the renewal of their licences, which are due to be completed by September. 'Under the new condition, the operators have the licensing obligation to refuse providing service, where directed by the telecommunications authority, to any person who possesses or uses an apparatus which is stolen or suspected stolen goods,' Ofta said. Police refused to comment on the database for 'operational reasons', while the major mobile phone companies did not respond to questions. Despite the setting up of IMEI databases overseas in recent years, phone companies have raised concerns that the IMEI numbers - which are intended to be a unique international code - can be reprogrammed. The IMEI number of a phone can be identified by pressing *#06# on a phone, Ofta said. Police statistics show that while increasing in recent years, mobile phone thefts in Hong Kong fell dramatically, from 37,220 in 2004 to 10,942, last year. The number of phones stolen in 2003 was 22,568. 'The 2005 figure was the lowest figure in the last three years and it was mainly attributable to a drop in the number of bulk theft cases,' a police spokeswoman said.
