Police Crackdown Nets 79 Bikes

Four drug dealers have been nabbed during the operations are in custody in Bonanjo, Douala.

Security forces of the Mobile Intervention Unit (GMI) N°2 have taken a decisive turn in the fight against criminality in the port city, Douala. Four drug dealers armed with guns, daggers and cutlasses were arrested at two different hideouts in the city in the morning of April 10.

In just about 6 weeks, about four underworld strongholds known in the city for crimes such as car theft, robbery and burglary, illicit drugs possession and distribution, have been broken into. A host of their members are either in police custody, prison or are still being tried.

In all, 79 bikes were picked up during two operations in the neighbourhoods of New Bell and Bonaloka. 50 of the bikes were confiscated from the home of an individual around the Casino Junction at New Bell. Meanwhile, 29 bikes were picked up from an Inn at the place called "Carrefour Bendskin" in the Bonaloka neighbourhood. However, security forces are not willing to disclose the identity of owners of the automobile parks, saying that they are not yet guilty because some of the bikes rightfully belong to customers.

"It is when we are left with unidentified bikes that we will call up the park owners. The reason for the crackdown is that we have information that some of the bikes were stolen," a police source revealed. He said the automobiles are pending identification and collection at the GMI N°2 Station in Bonanjo. The anti-criminal activity continued the next day Friday with the arrests of four suspected drug addicts, drug distributors and armed robbers.

Hahibou Dandjouma, Awal Mouhaman Abass and Aboubakar Sidiki were caught with an important stock of drugs including 22 sachets of cocaine at a snack joint called "Maison Blanche" at the New Bell on Friday, April 11, at about 6 am. Abou Abang was also arrested in the morning of that Friday with 187 sachets of cannabis and a large quantity of the drug yet unmeasured at his home in New Bell.

Our source said the arrests were motivated by information gathered within the framework of the fight against criminality in Douala. Many of such operations will be carried out in the days ahead.