THE Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) has commended public- spirited citizens and members of the law enforcement agencies for apprehending a person reported for cable theft.

The arrest followed closely on the heels of an offered reward of $500,000 for information leading to the apprehension of the perpetrator.

Only last week, on September 12 and 13, 300 meters of cable were stolen at New Hope and Friendship on the East Bank of Demerara respectively.

After the cable was cut and removed more than 400 customers lost both voice and data services. Within a day of that theft, information was received in response to the reward offer.

The information led GTT security and law enforcement officers to Pasha’s Scrap Yard in Albouystown, where a purchaser of stolen GTT cable was apprehended around 22:30hrs on Wednesday, September 22.

GTT Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Justin Nedd Thursday morning was high in praise of the swift response of the Guyana Police Force.

“While we remain disheartened by the continued acts of vandalism against our fibre infrastructure and theft of copper cable, we are heartened by the swift response of the police once we had received the information,” he said.

GTT and law enforcement officers, buoyed by this arrest, continue to hunt for the saboteurs of the fibre network.

At a joint media conference with GTT at the Ministry of Public Telecommunications in July, Minister Catherine Hughes had pledged government’s support for the GTT in apprehending persons who damage GTT infrastructure, pointing out that there were stiff provisions in the law, referencing Section 131 of the Criminal Law Offenses Act Chapter 8:01.

“We are also very happy with the support we got from the government, especially from the ministers of public security, business, and public telecommunications during this episode. The government’s actions were in keeping with their commitments made in public,” the GTT CEO said.

GTT announced the system of cash rewards at the July media conference in a push to ensure that perpetrators of vandalism and theft are no longer able to undermine business and put citizens and public services at risk by bringing down the network for their own nefarious gain. GTT is happy to see that the reward initiative worked for the benefit of all.