[top 2 toe red]

...keep changing their cell phones with different phone numbers every call or two.

If 'talking' was the purpose, why discard the batteries?

[MarkL]

...keep changing their cell phones with different phone numbers every call or two.

If 'talking' was the purpose, why discard the batteries?

Who knows? First off, by getting rid of the packaging, the phones would be smaller, and easier to conceal or ship. And it could be that they want to charge the batteries en-mass, outside of the phone, then distribute the phones with the batteries disconnected, to ensure that the GPS devices are disabled. I don't know if the chargers are the sort that recharge through the phone, or if they're stand-alone, and the article doesn't say.

Mark