Vodafone Ghana and the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) of the Ghana Police Service have busted yet another SIM box fraud operation at GREDA Estates at Teshie in Accra. The joint operation between the police CID anti-fraud taskforce and Vodafone Ghana security team led to the seizure of SIM fraud equipment worth $200,000, but the number of fraudulent SIM cards involved is yet to be confirmed. Director of Corporate Integrity and Risk at Vodafone Ghana, Ashley Ratcliffe told journalists that no arrests were made but the SIM cards have been blocked. SIM box fraud is a set-up in which some fraudsters connived with cohorts abroad to route international calls through a system called voice over internet protocol (VOIP) and terminate those calls through local phone numbers in Ghana to make it appear as if the call is a local call. Telecom operators and the state consequently lose revenue on those calls. The Minister of Communications, Haruna Iddrisu reported last year that Ghana lost at least $5.8 million every month in taxes to SIM box fraudsters until measures were put in place to stem it - meaning that the telecom operators even lost more money. Mr. Ratcliffe told journalists “our analysis indicates that this particular operations (at Teshie alone) was causing Vodafone Ghana financial losses in excess of GHS2.5 million per month since December 2010.” He admitted that the loss equated to a significant loss of revenue to both Vodafone and the government of Ghana. Mr. Ratcliffe said as a result of this arrest and several others last year, Vodafone now suffers the least from SIM box fraud in Ghana. “It is also important to note that the success of this operation will not only benefit Vodafone, it will also significantly reduce the financial losses other operators are suffering at the hands of illegal SIM box operations,” she said. Chief Marketing Officer of Vodafone Ghana, Uche Ofodile also told journalists that so far Vodafone had blocked over 90 per cent of the fraudulent SIM cards on its network and would continue to seek the rest and block them too. She noted that in October last year the National Communications Authority adjudged Vodafone the network with the highest SIM boxing activity, “but we are happy to inform you Vodafone is now the network with the least SIM boxing activity.” CEO of Vodafone Ghana thanked the Police CID for their support, but noted that this success story is proof that without the installation of gateway monitoring system, the telecom operators can on their own nib the fraudulent SIM box operations in the bud. Story by: Samuel Nii Narku Dowuona/Adom News/Ghana