BTCL suspects syndicates as copper theft rises

Ludo Kwapa | Friday May 17, 2019 12:04

 

The syndicates involve criminals working as foot soldiers on the ground to vandalise and steal copper from BTCL assets, feeding this to middlemen who process the cables and finally to kingpins either within or outside Botswana, the Corporation further says.

This week, BTCL head of security, Modisa Mokgathong said they are convinced the ongoing spate of theft relating to copper cables is not a random occurrence but rather the results of organised crime. These could be syndicates which means a group of individuals are working together to serve or promote a common interest,” he told BusinessWeek on Monday.

The BTCL’s infrastructure forms a large part of the country’s telecommunications backbone, particularly for fixed telephones and broadband internet. Mokgathong said recently arrests were made in Maun.

The suspects revealed that they had a group of men they are working with in Gaborone in relation to copper theft. This week, BTCL took a team of journalists to a site at Gaborone North where one suspect out of a gang of four was found with a 450 metre copper cable.

“We suspect the spike in the theft of copper cables is due to the rise in the price of the commodity globally,” he said.

Mokgathong added that copper cable theft hits the Corporation hard as it is forced to part with millions of pula in replacement costs, as well as service interruptions and revenue loss.

“If a customer cannot call an ambulance or phone the police or other emergency services due to these cable cuts, it puts their lives in danger,” he said. “This theft also leads to customers having no access to internet services which affects their ability to transact either online or through the ATMs. “This in essence brings commerce to a standstill.” BTCL has since engaged private security.