[jsmith45]

Yes, but so is the ISMI, from the sim card, which is actually the primary identifier used for most things within the protocol. ISMI determines which phone number gets connected to the phone, who gets billed for phone calls, etc.

The main scenarios where IMEI should be interesting to law enforcement are: stolen phone situations, criminals that keep getting getting new burner sims while continuing to use the same phone, or people that keep prank calling emergency services without having a SIM installed.

In nearly all other cases, the ISMI is far more useful identifier. And obviously the phones in question all have unique ISMIs or the network would be having, err.... great difficulty with all of those phones having the same phone number, and being able to route calls.