South Africa's three mobile phone operators have agreed to co-operate on sharing databases of stolen phones and baring them from use on all three networks. This agreement will make it easier for the companies - Cell C, MTN and Vodacom - to blacklist and disable stolen, lost and destroyed cell phones and for the police to trace and arrest those who steal cell phones or use them to further their criminal activities.

The National Commissioner, Commissioner Jackie Selebi, told a media conference in Pretoria that the combating of the theft of cellular phones requires an integrated and focused approach. "This initiative, in which the public and private sectors join forces to stop organized crime syndicates in their tracks, will render stolen, lost and damaged cellular phones inactive in the hands of the criminals", said Commissioner Selebi. "A stolen cell phone will from now on be useless to the criminal element as it will not be able to make or receive calls, even with a different sim card".

As President of the international policing agency, Interpol - which has 182 member countries - Commissioner Selebi, together with Business Against Crime, is hoping to extend the system to other countries in Africa to stop the flow of stolen phones in the Region.