Mumbai:  After losing mobile phones the only chance to track it down used to be its unique 15-digit International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. But now, mobile phone thieves have come up with an all new technique to escape arrest. They now erase the stolen mobile phone's memory and its 15-digit IMEI number.

The thieves, with the help of some local mobile vendors, replace the stolen phone's IMEI number with a cheap or a Chinese handset IMEI number.