Police in Dar es Salaam have arrested 152 suspects, and killed two bandits during gun battle with bandits at Tegeta Kwa Ndevu. At the same time, two suspects were arrested on charges of being found in possession of two pieces of ivory, in on-going crackdowns within the city.
Speaking during a press conference yesterday, the Dar es Salaam Special Police Zone Commander, Commissioner of Police (CP) Simon Sirro said the suspects were arrested during crackdowns in various parts of the city.
He said the two ivory suspects were found in possession of the elephant tusks and arrested at Kimara Temboni area last Tuesday night.
He identified the two suspects as Faith Muzo (55), a resident of Chanika Mvuti and Hassan Abdallah (32) a resident of Salasala, adding that the suspects were being held for interrogation before they appear before the courts of law. April 10, this year, the anti-robbery squad was able to stop two bandits who robbed three shops at suburban Boko, to northwest of Dar.
“During an exchange of gunfire with the police, the bandits were injured but soon died on the way to hospital. Police seized a Glock 17 pistol and 39 round of ammunition that was allegedly being used by the bandits in their heists,” he said.
In another development, Dar es Salaam Special Police Zone has arrested one Paulo Barati (38), who was allegedly ‘parading’ around as a police officer. Sirro says that on April 8, this year, the suspect, then in police uniforms, is alleged to have forced revelers at a pub to buy him beer or he would arrest and take them to police post.
He said that during interrogation, Baruti admitted that he had used uniforms ‘borrowed’ from his brother who was on holiday at their ancestral home in Mpanda, Katavi Region.