Robbers devise new strategies

Inhabitants of Yaounde have fallen prey to the tricks of bandits during the past few weeks. Bandits have developed new tactics of stealing peoples’ vehicles in their homes.

Home jacking and carjacking are the new methods used by the bandits to steal vehicles with modern security systems such as the alarm system.

Ateba M. who lives in the Bieym-Assi neighbourhood has his vehicle stolen by unknown individuals. The vehicle he said had a sophisticated alarm system and was packed in his home which had a gate with an alarm bell as well.

According to the police at the Central Police Station Number Two, home jacking consists of deactivating the alarm system of the gate through Internet connections before breaking into the home of the owner of the vehicle. In the same way that the bandits use to deactivate alarm systems in vehicles and make away with them. That is carjacking.

In order to attain their objectives the bandits use mainly computers or mobile phones as well as fake keys.

Apart from home jacking and care jacking the bandits are using the paper system. Here the bandits paste a paper on the back windscreen of the vehicle in a car park and hide. When the driver enters into his vehicle and notices that there is a paper behind his vehicle he is obliged go out and remove it leaving behind his car key. It is at this moment that the bandits get hold of the vehicle. Another method which is not quite modern and most common is breaking the windows of the vehicles to open the doors. With or without fake keys the bandits succeed in starting the vehicles and make away with them.

Police investigators have revealed that in Yaounde for instance, bandits generally operate in car parks of some hospitals, Carrefour Jamot, Yaounde Conference Centre and around CAMTEL and Hilton Hotel.

The police therefore inform the public to have their vehicles secured through the alarm system, anti-starter and the Global Positioning system, among others.

And if in spite of the security measures taken their vehicles are still stolen they can contact the numbers 117, 120 and 1500 of the National Security or go to the nearest police station or call a police of their choice who will take care of the problem.