Police call for prepaid cellphones to be registered

The days of criminals hiding behind the anonymity of prepaid cell phones could be numbered.

Police are supporting a proposal for all prepaid customers to be registered on a national database in a bid to trace criminal activity.

Detective Senior Sergeant Darrin Thomson says the criminal use of prepaid cellphones is on the rise and a register of cellphone users would make life much easier for police.

He says if a national database base helps police catch more offenders, then it would be good for the community.

Mr Thomson says creating a database of cellphone users is no different to being on the White Pages or Yellow Pages.

- Newstalk ZB