Burkina Faso: The national gendarmerie arrest electricity thieves and a gang of cyber criminals
In Burkina Faso, there is no tolerance for insecurity in any form. Under President Ibrahim Traoré’s leadership, security forces are committed to maintaining constant vigilance to rid the city of all types of criminals and wrongdoers.
Within this framework, the Economic and Financial Unit and the Technical and Scientific Cell of the Research Section of the Third Gendarmerie Legion have apprehended individuals involved in electricity theft from SONABEL and a group engaged in cybercrime.
The first group consists of three individuals who have been stealing electricity from SONABEL through fraudulent connections since 2012.
They managed to provide free electricity to four households or businesses, causing an estimated loss of 17 million FCFA to the electricity company.
After thorough investigations, the Research Section of the Third Gendarmerie Legion uncovered their scheme. These suspects will be presented to the public prosecutor.
The second group comprises cybercriminals who defrauded merchants by promising bank payments after receiving goods ordered via social media, particularly WhatsApp.
These individuals are involved in scams, forgery, and identity theft using information and communication technology, as stated by Chief Warrant Officer Nestor Bado, deputy head of the technical and scientific police cell.
Their primary targets were online merchants. They used SIM cards obtained with discarded Burkinabe national identity cards (CNIB).
Their modus operandi involved contacting merchants, placing orders, and then requesting a bank account number for payment.
«At this point, the group’s IT specialist would create a fake bank deposit slip for the agreed amount and send it to the victim’s WhatsApp number at a time when they couldn’t verify the transaction with their bank or account manager (after business hours, weekends) », explained Nestor Bado.
To cover their tracks, these scammers used unsuspecting drivers to collect the goods.
Following several complaints, the Technical and Scientific Police Cell of the Third Gendarmerie Legion’s Research Section in Ouagadougou launched an investigation.
This led to the arrest of two group members, who were found with six air conditioners at the time of their capture.
«They then led us to a location where four Yamaha Mio 125 scooters were stored».
The financial damage caused by these criminals is estimated at 10 million FCFA by the gendarmerie. They will face charges before the prosecutor.
Maurice K. ZONGO
