THIEVES STEAL FUEL FROM MOBILE PHONE MASTS

Thieves are vandalizing mobile phone masts belonging to Mozambique largest mobile phone operator, the publicly owned M-Cel, in order to steal the diesel they use, Radio Mozambique reported on Tuesday.Most of the thefts occur in the southern province of Inhambane, and the stolen fuel is then sold to motorists driving along the country’s main north-south highway. It is believed that the thieves supply informal fuel dealers who stand along the road, offering fuel for sale at suspiciously low process.A joint operation by the police and M-Cel’s own security guards managed to recover 5,000 litres of fuel that had been stolen from mobile phone masts.The police have now launched an offensive throughout Inhambane against the informal trade in fuel, to stop the dangerous practice of people selling fuel out of plastic containers.