Tanzanian police said the number of arrested suspected juvenile criminals in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam has risen from 135 to 167.
Awadh Juma Haji, the police commissioner for training and operations, said on Saturday the 167 suspected juvenile criminals who have been wreaking havoc in the business capital were arrested within a short period of time.
Haji told a news conference that a special crackdown on the youthful mobsters was ongoing, adding: “Police will hunt them down and arrest all of them even if they are operating from underground.”
He said police have seized 60 kilograms of cannabis suspected to be used by the youth gangsters, and also goods suspected to have been stolen by the gangsters, including phones and television sets, three cars and five motorbikes that were reportedly used in ferrying stolen goods.
Last week, the Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander, Jumanne Muliro, announced that police have killed six youths suspected to be part of a chain of juvenile criminals who have wreaked havoc in the commercial capital.
Also last week, the Inspector General of Police, Camillus Wambura, declared war on juvenile criminals, a day after Tanzania’s parliament urged the government to take urgent measures to curb crimes committed by juvenile criminals, especially in urban centers. Enditem
