Peru begins blocking cell phones reported stolen

LIMA (AP) — Peru announced on Monday the beginning of the blocking of all cell phones reported as stolen, a measure that seeks to stop the theft of these devices, one of the most frequent crimes in the South American country.

“This is one more measure to reduce cell phone theft,” Tatiana Piccini, user service manager of the state agency that regulates telecommunications services and rights, told local radio station Exitosa.

A month ago the organization started another campaign to block cell phones with cloned IMEIs. The IMEI is a unique 15-digit code that identifies the cell phone worldwide and when IMEIs are altered they are sometimes used to carry out extortion, another crime on the rise in Peru.

In October, Peru approved a law that punishes anyone who steals a cell phone or any other type of mobile terminal equipment and causes the death of the victim with life imprisonment, and anyone who steals it using a motor vehicle or using weapons with up to 30 years in prison. fire or explosives.

The official said that there is an entire chain of sale and repair of stolen cell phones in Peru that fuels theft and other types of crimes. In Peru there are more than 41 million cell phone lines, a figure much larger than the 33 million inhabitants.

In the South American country, around 4,400 cell phones are stolen per day and in 2023, 1.7 million cell phones will be stolen, usually from the Samsung, Redmi and Motorola brands.