Dar es Salaam. A total of 108,395 phones and other communication devices have been blocked during the past one year after being associated with multiple criminal acts including, swindling, fraudulent acts, being stolen, theft and reported stolen.
The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) said in a statement yesterday that they have been vigilant in identifying communication equipment used in fraudulent acts and blocking the devices’ International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI).
“Over the period from July 2022 to June 2023, a total of 108,395 IMEIs were blocked by our systems. These were IMEIs that were linked to incidents of theft or involvement in criminal activities,” the statement reads, quoting TCRA’s director general Dr Jabiri Bakari.
In November last year, TCRA announced the blocking of 52,000 phones, including those of scammers. From July 2021 to September 2022, a total of 52,087 IMEIs were blocked due to being reported as lost, stolen, or involved in criminal activities.
One of the essential tools that TCRA utilizes in this process is the Central Equipment Identity Register, which allows the verification of all devices connected to service providers, ensuring compliance with international standards and safety for users.
TCRA has also been vigilant in detecting fraudulent phones entering the country, resulting in a decline in fraudulent phone incidents from 2020 to June 2023. However, there were a few isolated cases of phone fraud in September 2022, said the regulatory.
This system, the regulator says, receives information from service providers, processes it, and provides reports that enable TCRA to oversee its regulatory responsibilities and verify revenue information for communication service providers.
This enables the government to collect its revenues through the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA).
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