Cellular Phone Number Tracking System Based on ArcGIS and Google Maps

Abstract

Over 4 billion individuals are projected to own a mobile device, with smartphone use continuing to rise around the world. Associated with this trend is the collection and usage of location information provided by these devices. The procedure for tracking and evaluating a mobile phone number is crucial for crime and terrorist attacks preventing concerns, especially in countries with deteriorated security conditions. The locational tracking information can enable real-time operational awareness and can save people's lives. In this aspect, the Geographic Information System (GIS) system is frequently used to provide intensive spatial information along the tracking process. This research aims to examine, follow up on, and trace a certain person's phone number inside a certain area using a combination of ArcGIS and Google Maps application software they are programs used to track and determine locations through the use of various types of coordinates, including latitude and longitude. In the ArcGIS program, there are several methods and algorithms used in various fields, including (locating people, determining tourist places, determining water and sewage networks, forecasting in the event of storms or floods, and many other areas), an example of these methods in the program is (Kriging method, Idw method, Spline method) and many other methods, each method is used for a specific purpose and field. In this research, the kriging method was used, which is a design algorithm that is used in many analysis and tracking processes and gives clear and accurate results. The process of determining locations in the maps used in the search depends on taking the longitude and latitude coordinates and downloading them to those maps. The maps that have been worked on in the research provide a set of basic concepts adopted in the process of tracking a particular person’s phone number, such as (the person’s location, the numbers connected to him, and the duration of a call to numbers in his contact list). The tracking system used is tested by creating a virtual contact list for a specific person’s phone number and making use of all the data in the contact list and applying it in the ArcGIS program, knowing that the duration of the contact list used is 9 months (from January to October 2021). The obtained results are analyzed and sorted in different ways to provide a wide model of the locational communication and movement activity of the tracked person. They showed that the system is efficient and can be applied to enhance the security in Iraq for tracking suspected people in crimes like terrorism, kidnapping, drugs, extortion … etc.