Three Arrested For Interrupting Telephone Traffic

The Managing Director of AVKOY Blaze Company Limited and two other officials of the company have been arrested by the police for interrupting international telephone traffic into Ghana without authorisation from the National Communications Authority (NCA).

The three, whose names are being withheld for security reasons, were arrested in Accra by a joint monitoring task force from the Accra Regional Police Command and the NCA.

The managing director was alleged to have requested Millicom Ghana Limited, operators of tiGO mobile network, for 60 lines to be given to his workers and the numbers were given to him.

According to a police source, after some weeks, Millicom realised that the lines were being used for international communication.

It said 90 per cent of the calls were international, while only 10 per cent were local, comprising SMS text messages, checks of balance of units replies and calls from numbers already registered in the sim box.

The mobile phone numbers were being used from New Gbawe and MarCarthy Hills and their environs where the prepaid sim box activities were carried out and the police source said the operations of the suspect led to unlawful termination of international traffic into Ghana.

Millicom, on realising that AVKOY was not using the numbers for the purpose intended, made a report to the NCA, which subsequently reported the matter to the police.

Investigations by the two organisations led to the arrest of the three, who claimed they had been approached by somebody who had asked them to acquire the lines for him.But they could not show the police the whereabouts of the said man.

In a release issued in Accra, the NCA reminded the public that nobody or entity had the right to terminate international telephone traffic to Ghana unless such an action had been authorised by the NCA.

The release, therefore, reiterated its earlier warning to the public that “it is an offence punishable under Section 73 of the Electronic Communications Act 775 of 2008 to provide electronic services without a licence, where a licence is required for that service”.

“It is, therefore, only persons or entities authorised by the NCA that can terminate international traffic into the country,” it added.

The NCA further warn those who are still engaged in such illegal operations to stop or be flushed out and dealt with according to the law.

The release appealed to the public to inform the NCA and the police whenever they suspected anyone was engaging in illegal telecommunication operations.

Source:Daily Graphic