Living in Peru : your everyday companion

(LIP-ir) -- From January to October of this year there have been 5,193 cases of people stealing telephone cables, affecting over seven hundred thousand users across Peru, said the telephone service provider, Telefonica del Peru (TdP).

In a press release issued by Telefonica del Peru, the company states that the district of Yarinacoha, located in Pucallpa - Peru's jungle, is the district with the most cases of telephone wire theft.

It was reported that telephone wire theft had increased from 8 to 91 robberies in the past year, a 91 percent increase in the area.

Districts in Lima, Peru have also shown a steady increase in telephone wire theft, Barrios Altos being one of the areas most affected. It was reported that five services were affected in February but that by November 130 had been affected.

Large holes, several meters long, can be seen along the streets and sidewalks, where telephone cables have been dug up and stolen, affecting several areas in the district, stated a spokesperson for Telefonica.

It was reported that a 92 percent increase in telephone wire theft was seen in Huaral while Sayán had a 73 percent increase. There have been increases in telephone wire theft across the country, in areas such as Junin, Iquitos, San Martín de Porres and Rimac.

There have been 21 thousand reports of telephone wire theft over the past three years, accounting for the sale of over 1,600 tons of copper on the black market, informed Telefonica del Peru.