Burkina Faso: The National Gendarmerie arrests electricity thieves and a group of cybercriminals
In Burkina Faso, there is no longer any room for insecurity, regardless of its form or method of operation. Under the leadership of President Ibrahim Traoré, the security forces are maintaining constant vigilance to rid the city of criminals and wrongdoers of all kinds.
It is within this framework that the Economic and Financial Cell and the Technical and Scientific Cell of the Research Section of the Third Gendarmerie Legion have apprehended suspected electricity thieves from SONABEL and a group of individuals involved in cybercrime.
The first group of delinquents consists of electricity thieves targeting SONABEL. There are three of them, and they have been engaging in this practice since 2012 through fraudulent connections. Over the years, they have managed to provide free electricity to four households and/or businesses, causing an estimated loss of nearly 17 million CFA francs to the electricity supplier. After thorough investigations, the Research Section of the Third Gendarmerie Legion put an end to these alleged delinquents’ schemes. They will be presented to the prosecutor of Faso.
The end of the road has also come for a group of cyber crooks. These individuals scam merchants by promising bank payments after the delivery of goods via social networks, particularly the WhatsApp platform.
These individuals are involved in « fraud, forgery and use of forged bank documents, and identity theft using information and communication technologies », says Chief Warrant Officer Nestor Bado, deputy head of the Technical and Scientific Police Cell.
They primarily targeted online merchants, using SIM card numbers acquired with found Burkinabe National Identity Cards (CNIB). Their modus operandi involved contacting merchants and ordering goods. They then requested a bank account number for payment.
« At this point, the group’s IT specialist would step in and create a fake bank deposit slip for the agreed amount to the victim’s account. This document would be scanned and sent to the victim’s WhatsApp number at a time when it would be impossible for them to go to the bank or call their account manager (after business hours or on weekends) to verify the transaction », explains Nestor Bado.
To cover their tracks, these scammers employed innocent drivers to collect the goods.
Following various complaints, the Technical and Scientific Police Cell of the Research Section of the Third Gendarmerie Legion in Ouagadougou launched an investigation. This led to the arrest of two group members. They were found in possession of six air conditioners at the time of their arrest.
« They then led us to a yard where four Yamaha Mio 125 scooters were stored ».
Their financial damage is estimated at 10 million CFA francs by the gendarmerie. They will answer for their actions before the prosecutor.
