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More than $33million lost to SIM box fraud

By Myjoyonline.com | GN
Business & Finance More than 33million lost to SIM box fraud
JAN 27, 2015 LISTEN

A press release from Subah Info Solutions, one of the key players in a recent bust of former boss  of Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) Dr. Alex Tweneboah, has revealed GH¢107,495,000.00 (about $33.6 million) have been lost to activities of SIM box fraudsters.

A Joint Anti-Telecom Fraud Task force made up detectives from the CID Headquarters, officials from the National Communications Authority (NCA), officials from the various Telecom Service Providers in Ghana and with the technical support from Subah Info Solutions Ghana Limited, embarked on a nationwide operation to clamp down the illegal activities of SIM box operators.

KOFORIDUA
On January 10, 2015, the operation led to the arrest of Ebenezer Boateng, Victor Owusu and Kwadjo Asare who hosted 4 SIM box equipment in one of the offices in the SSNIT Office Complex in Koforidua and were illegally terminating international call traffic.

Other items seized from the suspects were three heavy duty batteries, one small generator and large quantities of assorted scratch cards of various Telecom Service Providers, four internet routers, one DELL monitor, one DELL CPU, one ACP battery backup, and three laptop computers.

ACCRA
On January 14, 2015, the Task Force traced and seized 3 SIM box equipment, 3 SIM Servers, a 4G Modem, 1 printer and 1 Laptop from a house at North Kaneshie but there was no arrest.

However, the suspects are being pursued and would be brought to book when arrested.

BATSOONA
On January 15, 2015, the Task Force seized one SIM BOX with a 64-slot SIM server, 4G Internet Modem, 1 laptop computer and mini Antennas from a residence at Baatsona, Manet area. Three persons namely; Emmanuel Kofi Essilfie, Edmond Essilfie and Kwaku Appiah were arrested but they denied knowledge of the gadgets and mentioned Alexander Tweneboah, owner of the house as the owner of the equipment. Alexander Tweneboah was subsequently traced and arrested.

He claimed ownership of the equipment and admitted using them to terminate international calls illegally.

This is one of the biggest and most successful operations embarked upon by the taskforce as far as SIM Box fraud is concerned.

Eight SIM Box operators were busted. Thousands of SIM Cards were recovered. From one SIM Box operator alone21,232 SIM Cards were recovered.

KUMASI
On January 16, 2015, the task force arrested Alvin Habib and Francis Abbey at Asafo in Kumasi where they also mounted a four-SIM box equipment in their residence terminating international call traffic. Two power inverters, six heavy duty batteries, small internal antennas and quantity of Glo and Vodafone SIM CARDS were also seized from the suspects.

On the same day at Gyinyaase in Kumasi, the Task Force made a seizure of a 128-slot Sim Bank [X2], six SIM clients and Servers, two CISCO Routers, one Satellite Earth Receiver System, one UPS/Battery Bank and an Inverter but there was no arrest made.

TEMA
On January 16, 2015, the Task Force seized twelve GOIP SIM BOX equipment and its accessories, one inverter and a computer from a building near the Fishing Harbour in Tema. The caretaker of the building, David Ayitsi was arrested and he mentioned Daniel Nehme, a Lebanese and a notorious SIM BOX operator as the owner of the equipment.

It would be recalled that on January 2, 2013, the same Daniel Nehme was arrested at La, Accra together with one Jalal Hosaife who is now deceased for SIM BOX offences and were put before Court, Daniel Nehme absconded after he had been granted Court bail only to relocate to Tema and continue the crime with impunity. Efforts are being made to get him re-arrested.

The participation of Subah Info Solutions Ghana Ltd, in this all-important exercise, was by virtue of the fact that they have a contract with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to monitor both local and foreign inbound calls for the purposes of checking leakages in national revenue.

The mandate of Subah Info Solutions Ghana Ltd is to monitor, locate, identify and apprehend illegal SIM Box operators across the country.

Their operations involve driving around, using sophisticated electronic gadgets to locate those SIM Boxes. It also requires a high degree of accuracy and precision. This exercise is sometimes very risky because some SIM Box fraudsters are armed with all kinds of weapons.

The CID has, therefore, served a notice to all those engaged in Sim Box fraud and their collaborators that their days are numbered and that the earlier they desist from this act of sabotage the better.

The taskforce says it is determined to pursue all such fraudsters and other criminals operating in the country.

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