By A Correspondent
Zimbabwe, Bulawayo. (News of The South) – A COMMUNICATIONS wizard from Bulawayo set up a fully equipped mobile phone ‘call centre’ with 164 sim-cards in his house where he would make international calls free of charge, a magistrate heard.
Police raided 31-year-old Velaphi Hlabangani at his rented home in Suburbs and recovered 98 Net-One lines, 36 Telecel ones and 30 Econet 3G lines-all operational and fitted to an IP-PBX system.
Prosecutors say Hlabangani by-passed Econet Wireless’ central system as he re-routed his equipment to go via self-assembled sim-box equipment and would make international calls through the mobile operator’s network.
The unemployed youth would tamper with the Econet network which enabled him to make international calls that were routed as local calls without charging.
The system that he set up ensured that his mobile numbers were hidden from mobile operators.
The court could not readily establish how much money Hlabangani defrauded Econet through his adventure.
Hlabangani admitted that he was operating an IP-PBX system without a licence in violation of the Post and Telecommunications Act, when he appeared before magistrate Sibongile Msipa on Wednesday.
It could also not be ascertained how long he had been operating the sim-box equipment but Econet technicians observed that an unknown source had infiltrated their system last month, prosecutors said.
“On May 20, 2014 Econet technicians observed that there were international traffic calls coming through the mobile operators’ network and re-routed to go via a sim-box equipment and then terminated on Econet, by-passing the normal route used by Econet,” said prosecutor Denmore Kasenza.
He said the operator engaged the police after international investigations tracked the calls to Hlabangani’s sim-box at his house and found the sim-cards configured in the unregistered equipment.
Some of the highly technical equipment that the 31 year old used include two media sim-boxes, 16 mobile antennas, a 3 Cisko link system with E2500 and four port router, a complete computer set, a laptop with hypermedia management software and a mobile satellite.
Msipa convicted Hlabangani on his own plea of guilty.
She however, said despite the seriousness of the crime, Hlabangani could not be sent to jail as that would harden him as a criminal.
“This is a serious offence and a deterrent sentence is called for to deter would-be offenders. Imprisonment is however, not suitable for first offender who pleaded guilty and if he is sent to prison he would come back a hardened criminal who be a burden to the society. Therefore, a fine is suitable for him,” said magistrate Msipa.
She fined Hlabangani $400 with an option of jailing him for four months if he fails to pay the fine.
In addition, all the equipment was forfeited to the State.
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