BTCL suspects syndicates as copper theft rises

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.