20 PHONES STOLEN, 2 FOREIGNERS IN IPHONE SYNDICATE ARRESTED

MANZINI – Cops acted swiftly in arresting two foreign men, believed to be part of a syndicate that steals cellphones, in particular iPhones.

The men had gone on a rampage and stole about 20 gadgets in the past busy weekend. Eswatini was a hive of activity this past weekend, with various entertainment spots hosting shows.
One of the places that attracted thousands of people was House on Fire, where the 16th edition of the MTN Bushfire Festival was held this past weekend, and it is believed a bulk of the phones were stolen at the festival. The duo, who originate from Lesotho and South Africa, have been arrested by members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) and are awaiting their court appearance. They are believed to have stolen cellphones from fun lovers at various entertainment spots, including House on Fire, where the 2023 MTN Bushfire Festival was hosted.

Investigations

According to a source who is privy to information regarding the matter, police investigations pointed out that the duo came into the country with the sole mission of stealing cellphones, mainly iPhones, and they started in some drinking spots in Mbabane before going to the MTN Bushfire Festival. The source said the suspects stole about 20 cellphones over the weekend. He said in some instances, they pick-pocketed their prey. “In other instances, they cut open the fun lovers’ tents, especially at the MTN Bushfire Festival and stole the cellphones,” the source said. He said after stealing a cellphone, they made attempts to ensure that it was not available on the network. The source further claimed that even if the owner discovered that his/her cellphone had been stolen, he/she would not be able to call it because it would be unreachable. Also, he said even if they could use the Find my Phone application, it would not work because they would have tampered with it. The source said the suspects, who are yet to appear in a court of law for allegedly stealing the about 20 cellphones, came into the country with the mission of stealing the mobile phones and they specialised on iPhones.

Device

“The way they were operating would make one believe that they had a device to track the iPhones. It remains unknown for now why they targeted iPhones yet it has advanced security applications compared to other models,” the source said. He said suspicions were that the suspects worked with someone who was good at unlocking iPhones and that was why they specialised on them. It is believed that after being unlocked, the phones would be resold. An Apple iPhone is the second most popular smartphone in the United States of America (USA) and in December 2012, it held 36.3 per cent of the smartphone market share, coming in second to the Google Android’s 53.5 per cent. For consumers who have not yet jumped on the iPhone bandwagon, the source noted that it would be difficult to justify the relatively high price.

In fact, he said an iPhone was more than a phone; it offered a wide selection of communication options. He said in addition to traditional phone calls, one could send and receive text messages and emails. “An iPhone also comes with Apple’s FaceTime software, which allows you to hold video calls with other FaceTime users directly from your phone. With the built-in App Store, you can download additional communication apps that increase the number of ways you can get in touch with business contacts. Popular applications for business include Skype and Google Voice,” the source said. He added that an iPhone was designed to help one manage every aspect of his/her professional life. Using applications, he said one could update his/her company’s social media profiles, handle banking, book business travel and pay bills. He said other applications allowed one to find directions to meetings and check the weather for upcoming events. “An iPhone also makes it easier to handle daily operations with applications for project management, budget spreadsheets, billable hours and calendars,” the source said.

Furthermore, he said an iPhone combined multiple devices into one small package, eliminating the need to purchase each item separately. He said it came with a built-in, eight-megapixel camera that could take still images or video clips. He said the maps feature allowed the user to search for destinations and get turn-by-turn directions, so there would be no need for a GPS unit. Also, he said the Retina Display allowed the user to watch television, movies or training videos and the touch-screen was ideal for video games when one needed to relax. He said an iPhone integrated seamlessly into one’s computing system, whether or not the individual used Apple products. He added that when the user signed up for iCloud, he/she could opt to have his/her information backed up to a digital cloud, which he/she could access from any online location.

Confirmed

The arrest was confirmed by Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Pindile Vilakati. She said the two foreigners were arrested in connection with the theft of about 20 cellphones over the past weekend. She said the suspects were yet to make their first appearance in court. Vilakati also confirmed that in some incidents, the suspects allegedly cut open the tents of their targets and stole the cellphones. Efforts of getting a comment from Jiggs Thorne of House on Fire were futile as his mobile phone rang unanswered when called yesterday afternoon. The last call was made at around 7pm.

However, it is worth highlighting that yesterday afternoon, on its official Facebook page, the MTN Bushfire Festival organisers posted that if someone had lost something at the festival, a passport, phone, bank card, car keys, identification card or any other valuable item, they should call +268 2528 2040 or email info@bush-fire.com. For lost cellphones, they said one should contact officer Poppy Gina from Malkerns Police Station at +268 7603 9086 or Malkerns Desk Officer at +268 7623 2716. In fact, usually every year after the festival, the organisers publish items which were lost during the event and share contacts for people who could be contacted to report stolen valuables.

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