| Copper wire thefts point to one scrap metal dealer |
|
|
| Written by Staff Reporters | |||
|
Fixed-line operator Telecom, whose cable network is being “molested” every other week by copper wire thefts, is convinced that a prominent scrap-metal dealer in the country buys most of the stolen wires.
“There is one main person whom we suspect buys the copper cables, the rest are just surrogates who sell to him,” said Angula when asked why the police and Telecom were failing to apprehend the suspects. Telecom has since resorted to paying people who provide the tip off on criminals stealing cables. “We do pay people who are tipping us,” he said without wanting to give details in order to protect the whistle-blowers. In the latest incident, a joint anti- copper theft squad consisting of the Namibian Police and Telecom personnel made a major breakthrough in the Erongo Region over the weekend in its fight against the rampant theft of copper wire that has been crippling telecommunications services in that part of the country. The increasing incidences of copper wire theft from the Telecom network have resulted in considerable damage to the telecommunications infrastructure, and have caused service outages to patches of customers in the areas of Uis, Spitskoppe, Omaruru, Omatjete, Okombahe, Vergenoeg and Tsubusis, Karibib and Usakos. Acting on a tip-off, company personnel and the law enforcement officials recovered about 3 231 kg of stolen copper wires worth about N$200 000 during a search of Farm Success, 45 km west of Usakos on the B2 road towards Swakopmund. At least 139 bundles of wire, which were buried in a riverbed on the property, were unearthed by the time the team completed a joint excavation expedition. Last Friday night, Telecom personnel, actively assisted by the police, came across a group of six suspected criminals who were busy snipping kilometres of copper wires from the Telecom overhead route between Karibib and Uis. Five suspects have since been arrested, but one is still on the run. A pick-up truck and a sedan car, which were used by the suspects, were seized in the operation. Police investigation continues. “These thefts not only affect the telephone service, but they put people’s lives at risk. For example, the Spitskoppe Clinic is without telecommunications services at the moment. A number of businesses are also affected,” Telecom said. |
|||
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|