Sierra Leone police heighten crackdown on armed robbery
--about 75 “hardcore criminals” arrested
Some 75 “hardcore criminals” have been arrested in the Sierra Leonean capital, Freetown, the country’s police spokesman has said.
The arrests came after series of raids on armed robbers’ hideouts in Freetown city, where residents have been terrorized in recent months with a wave of robbers by criminal gangs using guns, machetes or other blunt objects.
In some of the attacks, several of their victims have either been killed or injured in recent years.
In an interview with West Africa Democracy Radio (WADR) at the weekend, Sierra Leone’s police spokesman, Assistant Superintendent Ibrahim Samura said the arrests were made in a joint operation with the Office of the National Security.
Samura said the police were determined to crack down on armed robbery in the capital and other parts of the country and those picked up would be arrested and later charged to court.
“We believe that majority of those we arrested are hardcore criminals. The reason being that nearly all of them confessed to have been criminals…to have been people who have been terrorizing peaceful citizens…” Sierra Leone’s police spokesman said.
Series of armed robberies have been reported recently nationwide, especially in Freetown.
WADR’s Sierra Leone Correspondent interviews police spokesman Samura in Freetown on the latest raids.
Click audio below to listen
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