Police arrest satellite dish installer

CEBU, Philippines - Police arrested a former satellite dish installer who was accused by a telecommunications company of stealing its customers’ phone signals.

Arrested in a buy-bust operation in barangay Mabolo yesterday morning was Paul Lacaron, 40, of Carcar City.

The police seized telecommunication equipment such as Ethernet cables, repeaters, and modems.

He used these to boost the signal of his own customer. The items had a value of almost P200,000.

Mabolo Police Chief Ryan Devaras said the suspect would go from one house to another and using his equipment, boost the phone’s signal of his own clients.

For 30,000, each client gets a lifetime high-powered signal, he said.

With this, the signal of the neighboring houses which are legally transcribed to a telecommunications company are slowed down, said Devaras.

“So hayahay kaayo ang mga client niya nga kausa ra mobayad to him while the legal consumers, who pay their monthly bills, are the ones affected since their signals are disrupted, muhinay,” Devaras said. The suspect would service at least 10 customers a day, he said.

Lacaron, in an interview, insisted that his online business is legal.

“Nganong illegal man na since 2004 ko nanarbaho ana sa Luzon, Visayas ug Mindanao karon ra man ko gireklamo. Dapat sa Customs pa lang, gidakop na ko, unya nakasud man,” he said.

Lacaron alleged that among the three known mobile networks in the country, only Globe raised a complaint against him.

“Sila ra man g’yud nagreklamo. Mureklamo ang mga consumers nila na muhinay ang ilang signal. Basin weak ang ilang (Globe) system unya di lang sila muangkon,” he said.

He said he boosts signals mostly in mountain areas.

He said he would only earn P4,000 to P5,000 per client and that his equipment is legally shipped from Hong Kong. (FREEMAN)