Mozambique: Police station destroyed after operation against theft of fuel

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Mozambique: Police station destroyed after operation against theft of fuel

5:33 CAT | 11 Aug 2025

Photo: AIM

A group of residents from the Icidua neighbourhood, in the central Mozambican city of Quelimane, burned down a local police station following a police operation aimed at combating the theft of fuel.

According to local residents, interviewed by the independent TV channel “TV Miramar”, the residents decided to destroy the police station after the police intervened in order to seize a significant amount of stolen fuel from one of the houses in the neighbourhood.

The sources say that the police intervention was marked by forced invasions of homes without warrants, causing outrage among the residents.

“It all started very early, with gunshots and tear gas everywhere. We didn’t understand what was happening. They are just acting now, but the illegal trade of fuel has been going on for a long time with the participation of foreign nationals”, a source said.

“The operation sparked outrage among residents, who accused the police of acting unfairly. They threw various objects at the police station and set it on fire”, the source added.

According to the source, the authorities should hold the illegal fuel suppliers accountable, “because it is not fair to attack innocent people.”

“But there was no reason to destroy the station. Now, the community has no place to file complaints or report crimes”, the source admitted. However, the authorities have not yet commented on the case.

Source: AIM