Tehran Police Conduct Phone Checks at Metro Stations

Tehran citizens report that police officers are conducting mobile phone checks at metro stations.

Witnesses say officers are asking passengers to enter a code into their phones, ostensibly to verify the device's registration in the country's mobile phone registration system.

However, Tehran Metro Company officials claim that the initiative aims to identify stolen phones, not unregistered devices.

The police have reportedly been implementing this plan quietly over the past weeks.

Social media users have corroborated these accounts, reporting random checks for phone authenticity or IM codes at metro stations.

The police have provided little public information about the operation.

Mehdi Abghari, head of the Mobile Importers Association, clarified that these checks are primarily to identify stolen phones and are unrelated to iPhone 14 and 15 registrations.

He emphasized that the peer-to-peer system allows authorities to determine who activated a particular device.

Legal expert Mohammed Asadi commented on the legality of these checks, stating that police can intervene without judicial authority when an obvious crime has been committed.

However, he emphasized that while police can request passengers to enter a code on their phones with consent, individuals have the right to object if they feel uncomfortable.