Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) issued a press release late Thursday, March 26, 2015, with serious concerns of a home invasion in Belize City that was alleged to have involved two individuals who were disguised as BTL employees. The telemedia company stated that the incident is one of great concern to them due to the nature of their operations and the service provided to their customers.
Channel 7 News in Belize City reported that there was a home invasion on the Thursday morning at about 10:30am on Albert Street. “Two men dressed in BTL uniforms arrived at the Budhrani residence at the upper flat of Rakhis Hair Salon. Forty-six-year-old house keeper Vilma Rauda who was at the house at the time, along with the cook, let the men in because they told her they were there to check the phone lines. Vilma led them to the phone in the kitchen but the men told her they needed to check the other phone lines and the modem. She then guided them to one of the bedrooms where the modem was located and that’s when one of the men grabbed her from behind, tied her arms with tie straps, taped her mouth and threatened that if she made any noise, they would kill her.”
Vilma told Channel 7 News that she managed to set herself free but when she ran out of the room, the men were already gone. She then called her boss Tara Budhrani and the police. Budhrani indicated that the men didn’t tamper with the safe in one of the rooms but that they went into her room, broke into her drawer and stole two bags with $7-$8,000 dollars, jewelry and her son’s firearm. Vilma just started to work as the house keeper 3 weeks ago.
In light of the incident, BTL sent out a release to enlighten its customers of their policies that dictate:
1. All BTL technicians are to first call the customer to notify them of a date and time they will visit the premise.
2. Their technicians are to present their BTL identification card to the customer upon arriving to the customer’s premise.
3. The customer has the right to request the technician’s identification number and name and make a call to the office to confirm that he is a BTL employee before allowing the technician to enter their home.
“Our customers’ safety is our priority, and our employees are continuously trained to respect our customers and their surroundings,” stated the release. The company urges its customers to feel free to share with them any concerns or recommendations at satisfy@belizetelemedia.net or call in the 24/7 Call Center at 119.”
