No more trading of snatched or stolen mobile phones. Punjab Police Department in collaboration with Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) has developed a smartphone application that will safeguard smartphone dealers. The application, eGadget Monitoring System, is for the merchants and shopkeepers who can verify the cellphone using its IMEI number. This is a huge step in tracking and recovering smartphones that were lost, snatched or stolen.
Let’s take a deeper look at this mobile application and see how it works and what difference it will make.
eGadget Monitoring System
Stolen or lost smartphones are routinely sold in the market. However, this practice will now be reduced to a minimum since Punjab Police is going to use an efficient monitoring system that will use the IMEI number of your phone. The IMEI number is a 15-digit unique number assigned to every phone that acts as an identity of the mobile phone.
The Punjab Police Department has launched the application in Lahore as a pilot project, for now, and after its success in the metropolitan, it will be launched in other cities of the province too. The launch ceremony of the eGadget Monitoring System took place at DIG Investigations Lahore Office and was attended by Capital City Police Chief and other senior officers including DIGs and SSPs.
Previously, it was easy and went unnoticed to trade stolen cellphones in markets because there was no registered database available online. This platform not only provides the database but also tells if the cellphone is stolen or lost. The launch of this application is expected to control the sale and purchase of lost and stolen cellphones by 60-70%. It will also safeguard merchants who are in the business of selling and purchasing used phones because they will be able to verify the status of the cellphone they are purchasing.
How eGadget Monitoring System Works
The mobile application is for both android and iOS users and features a user-friendly interface.
The application uses a connected database that is accessible by both parties, the merchants and the Punjab Police. The merchants will need to register themselves on the mobile application where they can verify the IMEI numbers of cellphones. The same database will cross-check the information with the list of stolen or lost mobile phones.
If the mobile phone is stolen or lost and the data matches with police records, the application will automatically notify the police department and the FIR will be uploaded. This verification process will protect shopkeepers.
How To Register On The Application
Follow these simple steps to register yourself on the eGadget Monitoring System.
Step 1: Download the application from the play store of your smartphone.
Step 2: Sign up on the application by providing all the required details including your CNIC, shop name, shop address and area.
Step 3: Once you submit the form, you will be sent a one-time password (OTP) on the provided mobile number. Use that to verify your account and you will be registered.
Step 4: You can now use the application to verify the IMEI number of phones and cross-check them with police records.
The Punjab Police is actively taking initiatives to improve verification processes for used items. Just like verification of mobile phones using the eGadget mobile application, the prior achievement of the department was to launch a “vehicle verification certificate” for used vehicles. This helps people who are buying used vehicles to check if the automobile is clear in police records. This saves the public from buying a faulty vehicle.
The Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) works on developing mobile applications and innovative solutions to facilitate the public. Just this year, a portal, Khidmat Apke Dehleez Par, was launched where citizens of Punjab can lodge complaints related to resolving municipal issues
This was all you needed to know about the effort of the Punjab Police to monitor and track lost and stolen cellphones. For more updates on the initiatives of the provincial government, follow Zameen Blog. You can also write to us at blog@zameen.com.
