Thousands of mobile phone users across Ambazonia and occupied territories could wake up to dead network signals beginning Monday, May 25, after the regime in Yaoundé announced a sweeping crackdown targeting what it describes as “smuggled” digital devices.
In a fresh move that has sparked concern among citizens already battling economic hardship, the Ministry of Finance of La République du Cameroun says all mobile phones not registered in the state customs database will be blocked from accessing local telecom networks.
The directive was issued to the country’s three major telecom operators, namely Camtel, MTN and Orange, ordering them to begin shutting down all devices considered illegally imported into the country.
According to figures released by the regime, more than 700,000 mobile phones have allegedly entered the country through smuggling networks since April 1, 2026, when a controversial law on imported digital devices officially came into force.
Though promulgated in 2023, the law only became operational last month as the Biya regime intensifies efforts to tighten its grip on the digital sector and increase customs revenue amid mounting economic pressure.
Under the law, customs authorities are empowered to impose a staggering 33.3 per cent duty on imported digital terminals, including mobile phones, tablets and other electronic devices.
Authorities in Yaoundé claim rampant smuggling has severely undermined state revenue collection over the years. State media reports indicate the regime hopes to rake in at least 25 billion CFA francs annually from taxes on imported digital devices, based on estimates that nearly four million devices enter the country each year.
The regime further claims that customs revenue from digital devices has collapsed dramatically, from nearly 12 billion CFA francs in the early 2000s to barely 100 million CFA francs per month in recent years.
At the centre of the operation is the International Mobile Equipment Identifier, commonly known as IMEI, a unique code attached to every mobile phone device worldwide.
Under the new policy, every importer must declare devices at customs, where authorities register the IMEI into the Cameroon Customs Information System after payment of the required tax.
Any device connected to the network after April 1, 2026, whose IMEI does not appear in the customs database will automatically be classified as smuggled and disconnected from mobile services.
The decision is already generating anxiety across Ground Zero, where many citizens depend heavily on mobile communication for business, education, activism and survival amid the ongoing Ambazonian crisis.
Critics say the latest move by Yaoundé could disproportionately affect ordinary civilians who purchase phones through informal markets and lack knowledge of customs procedures, further deepening economic suffering across Ambazonia.
By Lucas Muma | BaretaNews
