Unknown Lines and Referral to the Public Prosecution: The Full Story of the Mobile SIM Card Crisis in Egypt - Sarmad
Mobile phone numbers in Egypt, an indispensable daily communication tool, have become a source of grave concern following the exposure of a serious security and regulatory loophole.
This vulnerability allowed unknown individuals to register SIM cards under citizens’ names without their knowledge, leading in some cases to harsh judicial sentences against innocent people with no connection to the crimes in question.
The details of the crisis trace back to the case of Egyptian student Amr Omara, 19, who suddenly found himself facing an in absentia sentence of 25 years in hard labor for drug trafficking.
The shocking revelation was that Amr was unaware that a mobile SIM card registered with his personal data and national ID number bearing his name even existed, and that this SIM card had been used in the crime.
This incident was not an isolated case, but rather exposed a broader phenomenon involving other citizens who discovered that mobile lines registered under their names were being exploited without their knowledge.
This reality raised a terrifying question that kept millions of Egyptians awake at night: What if a line registered under your name were used in a major crime, leading you to the depths of prison while you are completely innocent?
These developments triggered widespread panic among citizens, prompting thousands to crowd outside branches of various telecommunications companies across the country. Their goal was to inquire and verify whether any other phone lines were registered under their names through illegal means, in order to prevent any potential legal disaster.
In the face of this public pressure and growing security concerns, relevant authorities in Egypt moved urgently to contain the crisis and reassure citizens.
The National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) reactivated and facilitated the service for inquiring about mobile lines registered under a citizen’s name via its official “My NTRA” app.
All mobile operators operating in the Egyptian market were referred to the Public Prosecution after it was proven that serious violations had occurred regarding the registration of lines under citizens’ names without their knowledge or without complying with legal regulations.
As part of a comprehensive plan to completely eliminate this loophole, the NTRA has begun tightening supervisory procedures in preparation for a new and decisive phase in the mobile SIM registration system.
The new plan for registering and contracting for lines will mandate the use of “facial biometrics.”
