November 24, 2005
S.A. Cell phone theft and changing lifestyles
Cell phone theft is one of the most frequent crimes in Botswana. This has forced some people to resort to buying cheaper cell phones to avoid a major loss in case of theft, according to Mmegi Online
"An underworld source told Mmegi that some cell phone thieves are part of syndicates controlled by crime lords. “They work for other people. All they have to do is go out to the mall or wherever and get cell phones among other things, bring them to their bosses and they get their share of the money as agreed,” he said.
He added that sometimes, the thieves seem ruthless because they cannot go back to their bosses empty handed.
Assistant Superintendent of Police, Alfred Ntile said cell phones are being stolen by both Batswana and foreigners. He said most buyers of stolen handsets are foreigners who go back to sell in their home countries."
Another dimension to cell phone theft involves technicians who repair handsets. Some cell phone repairmen will take your cell phone with the promise of fixing it and all they do is exchange the insides of your cell phone with a similar phone".
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