Theft of telecommunication equipment is a national security threat – AirtelTigo 

Director, Network Service Operations and Enterprise at Airtel Tigo has described as a national security threat, the nationwide theft of equipment and telecom materials of Telecommunication companies.

He added that the menace has the potential to plunge the country into chaos.

Mr. Stephen Zoroaster’s warning comes as a Kumasi Circuit Court granted bail to two persons, accused of posing as engineers of the company with the intention to steal equipment at a cell site at Atimatim, a suburb of Kumasi.

AirtelTigo has recorded 68 such theft cases across the country in the last 2-years.

“Since August, 2020, we have had 68 theft cases where they go and they scatter everything; sometimes everything in our cabinet,” Mr. Zoroaster said.

Mobile telephony firms continue to reel under the negative impact of equipment and material thefts at their cell sites.

“We need to replace all the equipment stolen and that takes money. Sometimes, they need to be manufactured and all these take time,” he said.

“Imagine the impacts on the people whilst these services are down. We are providing AirtelTigo money. As a service, we are providing voice service; we are providing enterprise services to businesses. When these theft cases happen, all the businesses, all the people within the specific area where the theft impacted, all the services go down. Sometimes it takes days and even weeks to get the services restored,” Mr Zoroaster bemoaned.

Telcos theft suspects www.myjoyonline.com
The suspects
Felix Dugan Apprey and his accomplice, identified only as Annor, posed as engineers of AirtelTigo, climbed the company’s mast and succeeded in allegedly removing a Radio Transceiver equipment at the cell site at Atimatim in the Ashanti region on April 20, 2022.

Some workers of the firm blew the alarm leading to their arrest.

The duo made their second appearance before a Kumasi Circuit Court on Thursday and were granted bail in the sum of GHC200,000 with two sureties to be justified.

The Court asked Police prosecutors to furnish defence counsel with all disclosures and witness statements to set the stage for a Case Management Conference.

Mr. Stephen Zoroaster bemoaned the frequency of such attacks

“The impact is on the economy; the impact is on national security due to the activities of these unscrupulous Ghanaians.”

The hearing resumes on July 12, 2022.