Police seize 38 terror suspects in three regions

Dar es Salaam. Police said yesterday that they had arrested 38 suspected terrorists.

Dar es Salaam Special Police Zone Commander Suleiman Kova told journalists that the suspects were involved in “terrorism”, including attacks on police stations.

“We have linked these people with terrorist activities, including attacks on police stations...they were arrested in a joint operation by police in Dar es Salaam and their colleagues in neighbouring regions,” he said.

Mr Kova added that the suspects were found in possession of firearms and ammunition recovered in Dar es Salaam, Coast and Lindi regions.

He said some of the firearms were taken from Kimanzichana Police Post in Mkuranga District when it was attacked by gunmen in June, last year. Two police officers were killed in the raid.

Also recovered were some of the firearms that were grabbed by assailants during an attack on a police post in Rufiji District in which two police officers were shot dead in January.

Mr Kova said the suspects had been using motorcycles in carrying out criminal activities, including bank robberies, and the money they had been stealing was used in financing terror-related activities in various parts of the country.

He also urged parents to closely monitor their children, particularly teenagers, saying there was proof that the suspects had been brainwashing and using young people in their “evil deeds”.

The arrests came hot on the heels of a string of incidents linked with terrorism, including attacks on places of worship, restaurants and, most recently, police stations.

In the latest incident, seven people,including four officers, were shot dead in July when gunmen attacked Stakishari Police Station in Dar es Salaam. The gangsters also made off with an unspecified number of firearms. Ten days after the Stakishari raid, police said they had killed three suspects and arrested two others who were liked with the attack.

Mr Kova said 16 firearms and Sh170 million were also recovered during a sting operation.

Two suspects were shot dead in an exchange of fire with police in Toangoma, Temeke District, while three others were arrested during an ambush as they plotted another Stakishari-style attack. The suspects were spotted by members of the public, who tipped off the police.

“They were ordered to surrender but instead, they reacted by shooting at the police, who returned fire and wounded three gangsters, who later died in hospital. Two of their accomplices were arrested,” Mr Kova said.

The arrested suspects included a 15-year-old boy from Mkuranga District, Coast Region. The other was a 24-year-old man from Mbagala, Dar es Salaam. Mr Kova displayed 16 assorted firearms and 28 rounds of amunition which he said were stolen from the Stakishari Police Station armoury by the gunmen who had attacked the facility.

However, it could not be immediately established how many firearms were still missing because police had still not stated the number of guns taken during the raid, although some police sources told The Citizen that the attackers fled with at least 22 firearms.

Mr Kova said police could not say how many guns had yet to be recovered so as not to sow fear among the public.