Mozambican police recovers 24 stolen vehicles, dismantles drug gangs with Tanzanian, Kenyan and Pakistani members

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Mozambican police recovers 24 stolen vehicles, dismantles drug gangs with Tanzanian, Kenyan and Pakistani members

5:25 CAT | 30 Oct 2018

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The National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) last week recovered 24 vehicles in an operation that resulted in the arrest of 15 individuals accused of being members of criminal gangs, among them a police officer of 12 years’ standing.

It is the end of the line for the 15 individuals, members of three gangs specialising in the theft of vehicles and other goods in the province and city of Maputo.

According to a SERNIC spokesman, the individuals were using the vehicles in criminal activity through “the use of forged documents”.

SERNIC also appealed to members of the public wanting to buy a second-hand car to first check with the police to determine whether or not the vehicle concerned was stolen.

Drug trafficking

Besides recovering the 24 vehicles, SERNIC has last week also neutralised gangs involved in drug trafficking. Tanzanian, Kenyan and Pakistani individuals are part of these gangs, O País reports. One Pakistani, known as the ‘Drug Baron’, is a most sought-after criminal in Southern Africa.

“The Pakistani citizen, named Tanveer Ahmed Allah, or simply Galby, as he is known in the world of crime, is the kingpin of this group. He is a drug baron who operates in every part of Southern Africa, and is sought in several countries due to his criminal incursions,” SERNIC spokesman Leonardo Simbine said.

The involvement of foreign citizens in the drug world has spread to the northern part of the country, more specifically to Cabo Delgado, where Tanzanian citizens were arrested in possession of 34 kg of cocaine and about 2 kg of hashish.

“The respective criminal proceedings have already been instituted on the above-mentioned facts, which are underway in the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office of Cabo Delgado, at a very advanced stage, awaiting trial,” Simbine said.

Cyber-crime

The dismantling of cyber-crime gangs was another of the achievements of the SERNIC during the week under review. In order to achieve their criminal ends, the crooks involved “deceived their victims by exchanging their cards at ATMs and through internet banking. where they sent emails to the victims with false information.”

“And when they [the victims] responded to try and understand what was happening, they stole secret data of their accounts, including their PINs and then transferred money to the bank accounts of gang members,” Simbine explained.

“I stole 12 laptops, here in Baixa”

One of those arrested last week, a member of the PRM for about 12 years confessed his involvement in the crime he is accused of and apologised to his family and the state.

“I participated in a robbery. I stole 12 laptops here in [Maputo’s] ‘Baixa [CBD]. I am a member of the PRM. I am assigned to the police command in Maputo province. I cannot say what made me go down this road. The weapon I used to commit crime is the weapon of service. And I’m sorry and I apologise to the family, or rather to the state. This is the resume,” the erring police officer stated.

Others, however, deny their involvement in the crime. “They said I know a stolen car salesman, but I just want to ask for help from anyone who may be able to help. I did not participate in any theft in the city. I did not participate in any car theft,” one detainee said.

By Dário Cossa

Source: O País