Mozambique: Man detained in possession of over 100 grenades in Changara district, Tete province - ...
File photo: O País
The Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) presented, in Mocímboa da Praia municipal village, Cabo Delgado province this Monday, six of a total of 85 alleged insurgents captured by the Defence and Security Forces (FDS), Radio Mozambique reports.
These mostly young people, it is alleged, surreptitiously supplied basic products and other non-perishable goods purchased with money received via the electronic platform of one of Mozambique’s mobile phone operators.
Those presented told the press that they took the supplies to previously agreed locations, from where they “were collected by those who were in the woods”.
Watch the Miramar TV report below:
According to a report in Tuesday’s issue of the independent daily “O Pais”, the police said that three of the men were directly involved in armed attacks, while the other three provided logistical support for the insurgents.
The detainees did not reveal the names of those who gave them instructions, allegedly because the contacts were not direct. But they admitted receiving money to buy goods for the insurgents.
According to one of the detainees (whose name was not given), his involvement began when his brother-in-law asked for his contact so that he could receive money from a friend. He complied and “shortly afterwards, I received 150,000 meticais (about 2,300 US dollars) in my mobile phone account. I withdrew the amount in instalments and gave it to my brother-in-law. He paid me 2,000 meticais”.
Another detainee said he had received 170,000 meticais and had used some of this to buy goods for the insurgents. “I never saw them, because we just left the goods in a place indicated in advance, and they came to pick them up after we had left”, he said.
But some of the detainees deny all the accusations made by the police, and claim to be simple fishermen.
“I’m not part of this group attacking the province”, one said, “I was arrested just because I go to the same mosque as one of the insurgents wanted by the police”.
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