Mozambique’s National Criminal Investigation Service (Sernik) has arrested three men suspected of involvement in kidnappings that occurred in the capital Maputo, an official source said THIS MONDAY.
The two detainees are suspected of abducting an 8-year-old child that occurred on Friday in the Jardim district of Maputo, Sernic spokesman Hilario Loule said during a press conference in Maputo.
A child abducted while leaving school was rescued on Sunday from the home of one of the suspects in the Block 07 area of the Mozambican capital after the mother reported the matter to police.
“The child was rescued healthy, he is healthy and is now with his family,” Hilario Lole said, adding that a gun was also seized from the kidnappers, who identified themselves as Mozambique police officers.
“We will still contact the general command, as well as the Maputo city command, to determine whether they are truly effective,” the spokesman said, noting that gunfire exchanged between police and the suspects during the rescue of the child.
A third man was arrested on suspicion of involvement in two kidnappings that occurred in November and December 2023.
“This person will be involved in carrying out these two kidnappings, of which we have already detained four people and, fortunately, one of the victims was rescued from captivity in December,” said Hilario Lole.
The Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) have recorded a total of 185 cases of kidnapping and at least 288 people have been detained on suspicion of involvement in this type of crime since 2011, the interior minister said in March.
“Everything indicates that the city of Maputo has the highest trend and number of criminal cases of kidnapping, followed by the province of Maputo and finally Sofala with a record of 103, 41 and 18 cases respectively,” said Pascoal Ronda, March 19 .
Since 2020, trends have shown a “worsening behavior” as a result of “concerted actions” by Mozambican authorities, a government official said.
A spate of kidnappings in Mozambique has affected businessmen and their families, especially those of Asian descent, which authorities say requires reflection.
Most kidnappings committed in Mozambique are carried out outside the country, making it difficult to combat this type of crime, the republic’s prosecutor general, Beatrice Buchili, told parliament in April.
The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGR) annual update acknowledges that “legal and judicial cooperation with South Africa, a neighboring and brotherly country, has not reached the level necessary to combat this type of crime affecting both countries.”
The PIU emphasizes that more than a year ago, 20 requests for extradition and mutual legal assistance were submitted, including from identified perpetrators of abductions, but Mozambique received no response.
It also highlights ongoing efforts to sign an extradition agreement between Mozambique and South Africa aimed at strengthening cooperation in the fight against organized crime.
The PGR’s annual report indicates that seven criminal cases of kidnapping were opened in 2023, a 53.3% decrease from the previous year, in which 15 were registered.
Charges were filed in 12 cases, five of which were filed, nine of which were rescheduled for this year.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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