SIMple alternatives for Comancheros

commentary Bikies don't have to try so hard to keep their calls untapped.

(Easier image by Heather Katsoulis, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Global bikie gang the Comancheros allegedly struck deals with drug cartels to import BlackBerry phones loaded with untraceable Mexican SIM cards.

The Mexican phone registration system is a mess so its SIM cards can be used to dodge wiretaps the world over, albeit with some hefty roaming charges.

However, police and telco providers have said there are plenty of ways criminal gangs can communicate off-grid: using Mexican SIMs is just one of many avenues to be exploited.

Why not use stolen mobile phones? There are plenty available, with some 200,000 reported lost or pinched in Australia each year.

Or they can use a fake driver's licence to register an Australian SIM card under bogus details.

Bikies need only maintain separation between the mobile number and their identities. If the link is made, local phone companies can intercept their conversations, whether the number is registered in Mexico or Melbourne.

Even if they do decide that importing Mexican SIMs is the easiest way to stay anonymous, why import the whole phone? They may be better off putting a SIM in a BlackBerry bought down the street, since it offers the same encrypted email service but doesn't involve fiddling with phone settings or a pain-in-the-proverbial foreign charger.