An arrested software engineer of a street criminals' gang involved in changing the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers of stolen mobile phones unveiled the names of other national and international hacker members.

According to the 24News HD TV channel, in a startling revelation, street criminals arrested in Karachi have disclosed a sophisticated network involved in changing the IMEI numbers of stolen mobile phones.

The police sources said the accused software engineer Sohail Shah disclosed the web of professional hackers both domestically and abroad who aided in the illegal activity of changing the IMEI numbers.

The investigation conducted by the District Central Police of West Zone also uncovered alarming connections between street criminals [mobile phone snatchers] and 40 to 50 shopkeepers in key markets of Karachi.

The arrested software engineer told the Karachi police that the IMEI numbers of the stolen mobile phones were changed with the help of professional hackers and shopkeepers.

The arrested accused also revealed that there are many professional hackers in his group who provide him with technical support from abroad.

According to the police, during the investigation, The accused is an expert in changing the IMEI of phones brought in by street criminals as well as non-PTA phones.

The sources said Karachi police have started action against other accomplices of the accused and members of the gang and contacted the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for assistance in dealing with the hackers operating outside the country.

The IMEI is a unique number to identify GSM, WCDMA, and iDEN mobile phones, as well as some satellite phones. Mostly phone have one IMEI number, but in dual SIM phones are two.

The IMEI is only used for identifying the device and has no permanent or semi-permanent relation to the subscriber. The number is used by the GSM network to identify valid devices and therefore can be used for stopping a stolen phone from accessing the network in that country.

Reporter: Meraj Akhtar