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5 arrested in Zimbabwe for illegally selling Starlink kits
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Five men from Harare have been arrested for allegedly possessing Starlink kits without a valid license, following a police operation on November 2, 2024. The suspects, identified as Polite Jamba (28), Ngoni Mandiwo (29), Denver Ndebele (26), Tinotenda Vambe (26), and Lennin Mhiripiri (26), are scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
Acting on a tip-off, detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Highlands raided the suspects at two locations. Mandiwo and Ndebele were reportedly selling Starlink Gen 2 kits at Easy Walk Mall in central Harare. Police seized two kits valued at approximately US$900, and the pair was arrested and taken to CID Highlands for further investigation.
In a separate operation the same day, detectives posing as customers approached Jamba, Vambe, and Mhiripiri, who were also found in possession of an unlicensed Starlink Mini kit worth US$450. The trio was subsequently arrested and escorted to CID Highlands.
Zimbabwean authorities have recently intensified enforcement around Starlink equipment, which, under local law, requires users to obtain proper licensing. Since Starlink activated its service in Zimbabwe on September 7, 2024, the government has emphasized the need for regulatory compliance. Users of previously imported Starlink kits have been urged to regularize their equipment through authorized dealers like Aura Group and TelOne, which were officially licensed to resell Starlink services in the country.
Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, Dr. Tatenda Mavetera, recently inaugurated Aura Group as a Starlink reseller in Zimbabwe, marking a step toward structured Starlink distribution in the nation. The move reflects efforts by authorities to regulate low-Earth orbit internet services, which are becoming increasingly popular due to their global coverage provided by Elon Musk's SpaceX.
Acting on a tip-off, detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Highlands raided the suspects at two locations. Mandiwo and Ndebele were reportedly selling Starlink Gen 2 kits at Easy Walk Mall in central Harare. Police seized two kits valued at approximately US$900, and the pair was arrested and taken to CID Highlands for further investigation.
Zimbabwean authorities have recently intensified enforcement around Starlink equipment, which, under local law, requires users to obtain proper licensing. Since Starlink activated its service in Zimbabwe on September 7, 2024, the government has emphasized the need for regulatory compliance. Users of previously imported Starlink kits have been urged to regularize their equipment through authorized dealers like Aura Group and TelOne, which were officially licensed to resell Starlink services in the country.
Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, Dr. Tatenda Mavetera, recently inaugurated Aura Group as a Starlink reseller in Zimbabwe, marking a step toward structured Starlink distribution in the nation. The move reflects efforts by authorities to regulate low-Earth orbit internet services, which are becoming increasingly popular due to their global coverage provided by Elon Musk's SpaceX.
Source - The Herald
