Five arrested for telecoms fraud

FIVE foreign nationals – one woman and four men – were arrested on Friday on charges of fraud and contravening the Postal and Telecommunication Act of 1992.

The Namibian Police and Telecom staff raided a business and two houses on Friday after Telecom investigated illegal activities on its network and called in the help of the Police. According to Telecom, the suspects were making use of Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) technology and sold phone cards to people wishing to make cheap international calls.VOIP, also called Internet telephony, is the technology that makes it possible to have a telephone conversation over the Internet or a dedicated Internet Protocol (IP) network instead of dedicated voice phone lines.It is legal in some countries, but not in Namibia.Telecom says international calls were made via the Internet from VOIP “platforms” at two houses in Windhoek.Telecom estimates that it lost business worth about N$2 million since November last year because of this operation.It says it started investigating these illegal activities in February this year, when traffic volumes to some Oriental destinations started to decline noticeably.Police on Friday confiscated 640 phone cards during a raid on the Taiwan Food Shop in the Hidas shopping centre.The cards were apparently made in Japan, with Namibia and N$100 printed on them.A VOIP “platform” was found at the house of the shop owners on the corner of Nelson Mandela and Chapman streets in Klein Windhoek.Another platform was found at a house opposite Ramatex in the Otjomuise residential area.The house, which is being rented by two Chinese men, contained three computers equipped with earphones and mouthpieces.According to the Police, the computers had an illegal power connection bypassing the house’s electricity meter.Telecom Namibia has issued a press release reminding the public that the Postal and Telecommunications Act prohibits the provision of any telecommunications service by any person without a licence issued by the Namibia Communication Commission (NCC).Any person who provides telecommunication services without a licence from the NCC, or aids the illegal provision of these services, can be prosecuted in accordance with Section 41 of the Postal and Telecommunications Act.According to Telecom, the suspects were making use of Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) technology and sold phone cards to people wishing to make cheap international calls.VOIP, also called Internet telephony, is the technology that makes it possible to have a telephone conversation over the Internet or a dedicated Internet Protocol (IP) network instead of dedicated voice phone lines.It is legal in some countries, but not in Namibia.Telecom says international calls were made via the Internet from VOIP “platforms” at two houses in Windhoek.Telecom estimates that it lost business worth about N$2 million since November last year because of this operation.It says it started investigating these illegal activities in February this year, when traffic volumes to some Oriental destinations started to decline noticeably.Police on Friday confiscated 640 phone cards during a raid on the Taiwan Food Shop in the Hidas shopping centre.The cards were apparently made in Japan, with Namibia and N$100 printed on them.A VOIP “platform” was found at the house of the shop owners on the corner of Nelson Mandela and Chapman streets in Klein Windhoek.Another platform was found at a house opposite Ramatex in the Otjomuise residential area.The house, which is being rented by two Chinese men, contained three computers equipped with earphones and mouthpieces.According to the Police, the computers had an illegal power connection bypassing the house’s electricity meter.Telecom Namibia has issued a press release reminding the public that the Postal and Telecommunications Act prohibits the provision of any telecommunications service by any person without a licence issued by the Namibia Communication Commission (NCC).Any person who provides telecommunication services without a licence from the NCC, or aids the illegal provision of these services, can be prosecuted in accordance with Section 41 of the Postal and Telecommunications Act.