Tanzania disconnects 600,000 counterfeit phones

Tanzania’s telecoms regulator has disconnected 600,000 mobile phones from mobile networks in an effort to stamp out counterfeit devices that it says are often used for fraudulent transactions on mobile payment systems and in other crimes.

Poorly made counterfeit phones, imported mainly from Asia, are prevalent in many African nations and regulators say they are widely used by criminals because they are difficult to track.

The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority’s (TCRA) communications manager, Innocent Mungy, said that all devices with invalid International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers were disconnected on Thursday.

The watchdog had announced the move in February and launched a campaign to encourage people to switch to non-counterfeit devices, but Thursday’s big switch-off came as a shock to many who rely on their handsets to transact business and stay in touch, while mobile operator Vodacom said the reduced telephone and data traffic would hit revenue.