By Patrick Ofoe Nudzi, GNA
Accra, May 11, GNA – The Ashanti Region has recorded 50 theft cases out of the 114 representing 44 per cent between August 2020 and May 9, 2022, on active devices of mobile networks operators.
The Ghana Chamber of Telecommuncations in a statement signed by Dr Kenneth Ashigbey, said: “The Ashanti Region alone recorded over 50 theft cases out of the 114 (44%).
“The Central Region followed with a total of 19 theft cases representing 16.8 per cent, followed closely by Greater Accra, which recorded 18 incidents representing 15.9 per cent.”
Similarly, the statement said the Northern Region recorded two cases in less than a week, at Kusagu and Tamale on May 4 and 9 respectively.
“These active parts of the infrastructure stolen at the cell sites included the base transceiver system, transmission equipment including both microwave and fibre optic transmission equipment, Radio Frequency (RF) cables and electrical cables,” it added.
For the passive equipment theft, Greater Accra leads with 461 theft incidents representing 32 per cent, Ashanti Region follows with 375 incidents representing 26 per cent and the Eastern Region follows with 270 incidents representing 19 per cent from 2017 to March 2022.
The Statement said “over this period over 440,000 gallons of diesel, 804 B.T.S batteries, 786 generators batteries, 124 DC-AC Inverters, 102 AVR Transformers, 26 AC Units and 8 Fire Extinguishers are among the items stolen.”
Dr Ashigbey said the state cannot allow these nation wreckers to continue having a field day, adding that they “have collaborated with several units of the CID and the National Signal Bureau an agency of the National Security to enable quick action to nip it in the bud.”
Three suspected thieves had been arrested in the act of stealing over the past two weeks in Kumasi and Accra. The Statement however, said, they reward anyone or community members for their vigilance and efforts to catch persons committing the crimes.
“There would be a handsome reward for you if your credible intelligence leads to the arrest of anyone engaged in telecommunication theft activities with additional sums made available to the whistle-blower when a culprit is prosecuted and jailed,” it said.
GNA
