Amid the controversy over illegal tapping of phones, the government today put the import of advanced telecom equipment like receivers and transmitters in the restricted list.

In a notification, the Director-General of Foreign Trade said, "import of multi-channel GSM/CDMA receivers, transmitters and trans-receivers capable of receiving or transmitting or both in two or more frequencies simultaneously, shall be restricted." Anyone planning to use these equipments would now have to apply for licence for importing it.

According to a telecom provider, GSM interception provides tracking of cell phone traffic in a specific local area. It is a lawful interception method for government agencies that can be used for security purposes, such as monitoring of suspected criminals communication and definition of their exact location.

Till now there was no clarity on procurement of these equipments. The Commerce Ministry notification said it is an addition in the import policy under the subject--"off-the-air GSM monitoring technology."

GSM interceptor provides random and target off-the-air interception of multiple subscribers at the same time, using active methods that are non-detectable by operators.