The Mozambique Ministry of State recorded 367 cybercrimes in the first half of the year, 26 fewer than in 2022.

The Mozambique Ministry of State (MP) registered a total of 367 cybercrime cases in the first half of this year, down 6.6% from the same period in 2022, an official said on Friday.

“Out of a total of 207 cases, charges have been filed, 102 have been filed and 362 are under investigation,” Deputy Attorney General Amabelia Chuquela said during a cybercrime workshop held in Maputo.

According to Amabelia Chuquela, there were 393 cases of cybercrime in the first half of 2022, which is 26 cases less than in the same period of this year.

The Prosecutor’s Office also reported that the majority of cases filed in 2023 involved electronic payment instrument and channel fraud (164) and computer and communications fraud (90).

The Deputy Attorney General also spoke about the problems associated with the legal framework for computer crimes, in addition to the difficulties of “obtaining digital or electronic evidence in a timely and useful manner.”

“We hope this event will reinforce our work to prevent and combat computer crime,” Amabelia Chuquela said, referring to the workshop.

The official also said that the widespread use of mobile phones and computers has created an opportunity for criminals to operate from a distance and reach more victims by “masking the traces of their activities in cyberspace.”

According to the previous 2017 census, out of about 30 million inhabitants, one fifth of Mozambique’s population has a mobile phone, but only 6% have access to the Internet.

The percentage of the population with access to a computer is 4.4%.

In 2018, the Government of Mozambique approved a resolution to ratify the African Union Convention on Cyber ​​Security and Data Protection.