Mozambique: Criminals pass themselves off as terrorists – AIM report | Watch

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Mozambique: Criminals pass themselves off as terrorists – AIM report | Watch

10:32 CAT | 28 Jun 2022

Photo: Notícias

The Mozambican police in the northern province of Cabo Delgado have arrested two men who staged fake terrorist attacks, in order to steal goods from the local population, Radio Mozambique reported on Monday.

The attacks were staged in villages in Ancuabe district, which came under genuine terrorist attack as from 5 June.

The spokesperson for the Cabo Delgado provincial police command, Mario Adolfo, told reporters that investigations are under way to find out whether the individuals detained have any genuine connection with the islamist terrorists, who claim allegiance to the self-styled “Islamic State”.

“There are three of them”, said Adolfo, “but one of them is now on the run. These individuals, taking advantage of the fragility of the population, simulated a terrorist attack. In Mesa village, under cover of night, they scared away the population, and burnt down some houses, passing themselves off as terrorists”.

The two detainees deny the accusations. “I’m a taxi driver”, one of them told the reporters. “I don’t know anything. I’m here because I gave a lift to this man. He asked me to take him to his brother-in-law to fetch three sacks of maize. If I’d known he was a bad character, I would not have taken him”.

His passenger also denied any wrongdoing. “I’m not one of the terrorists”, he said. He confirmed that he had asked the taxi-driver to collect his brother-in-law.

Mario Adolfo said that so far there have been three fake terrorist attacks, in Ancuabe, Metuge and Montepuez districts, where ordinary criminals have pretended to be terrorists.

Watch the TVM report.