19 batteries stolen from Airtel transmission tower
Thieves broke into a room at an Airtel Malawi transmission tower at Number One Trading Centre in Thyolo on Saturday and got away with 19 batteries.
Southern Region Police deputy spokesperson Widson Nhlane said the guards heard the sound of a motor vehicle they assumed was heading towards Luchenza, but after a few minutes, they were attacked by a gang of 10.
Nhlane said the robbers forced the guards to lie down in the guard room, tied them with twine and assaulted them with pangas.
He said: “The thieves then broke into the storeroom where they managed to steal 19 batteries whose value is not yet known.”
Police have since appealed to the public to provide information on the whereabouts of the thieves.
Of late mobile phone service providers Airtel Malawi and TNM have been hit by transmission towers battery theft. A few weeks ago, police officers from Montfort Police Unit in Chiradzulu District recovered 15 batteries engraved with Airtel Malawi insignia and colours at Nguludi Turn-Off Trading Centre.
Airtel Malawi public relations manager Edith Tsilizani is quoted as having said each battery costs about K200 000 to purchase.
