Killing By The Numbers

Some people would kill to have the latest technology, and some are being killed by it.

A mobile phone number has been discontinued after three separate owners died after having been allocated the number.

The cell phone number 0888 888 888 seems like an awesome cell phone number, right? Easy to remember, looks cool on your business card, etc.

But the three people who have owned that number have all died under suspicious circumstances.

The first owner, Vladimir Grashnov, was the owner of Bulgaria’s Mobitel. He died of cancer in 2001, but there are rumors that he was poisoned by a business rival.

The second owner was Konstantin Dimitrov, a suspected drug smuggler, who was allegedly gunned down by the Russian mafia.

Lucky number #3 was Konstantin Dishliev, a drug kingpin involved in a $160m trafficking operation. He was gunned down during dinner.

There seems to be a lesson here, either regarding the ownership of really cool cell phone numbers or of the dangers of big business and the drug trade. The number is now defunct, but will this stop the needless death of so many drug traffickers?

Source: TechRadar