Theft of telephone network cables is on the increase in the Hohoe district of Ghana, according to telecommunications company Ghana Telecom.
Since January this year, 25,000 metres of telephone cable have been stolen, with new incidents occurring each week.
Seth Seglah, head of the Hohoe district for Ghana Telecom, told the Ghana News Agency that the full cost of the crimes totals 50,000 Ghanaian cedis (£23,540).
Two separate operations earlier this year resulted in the arrest of four individuals in relation to the theft of network cables, he said.
However, there has been no let up in the number of incidents reported and police are having trouble clamping down due to a lack of patrol vehicles.
Telephone network cables have also been stolen in India, with telecoms provider BSNL reporting numerous incidents in the Punjab region.
Services have been severely disrupted as a result, the company's general manager Naresh Sharma told the Hindu Business Line.
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Last Updated: 28/08/2008 17:43
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