By Tabora Bojang
Police have arrested a gang involved in carrying out multiple attacks using taxis to rob passengers of their valuables, especially women along the Sting Corner area.
According to the police, Bubacarr Touray, Demba Jarju, Ebrima Sarr, Ebrima Conateh and Edrissa Ceesay are active members of a criminal gang disguised as taxi drivers and passengers and engaged in robbing innocent passengers of their monies, mobile phones and bags.
The head of the regional crime office for Kanifing Municipality, Commissioner Pateh Bah, said the 5 suspects made confessions to investigators following their arrest in the feast period after allegedly pepper spraying one Baye Niass, held him at knife point and robbed him of 3 mobile phones, a bag and D40,000.
According to Commissioner Bah, Niass was on board a taxi being driven by one of the gang members Abubacarr Touray. And while he was on board the taxi, the driver [Touray] was in contact with another accomplices who laid an ambush using another taxi along the Mile 7 Road in Bakau where they robbed Niass.
Touray, who escorted Niass to report the case to the Bakau station, was himself arrested after police suspected his involvement in the case. He later confessed before investigators, leading to the arrest of 4 other suspects.
The police said following their interrogation, all the 5 suspects revealed their involvement in several other attacks within the Sting Corner and Mile 7 areas.
According to the commissioner, police have in the past 4 months received complaints especially from women that they are victims of taxi robbery. He explained that their modus operandi involved taking on board unsuspecting passengers alongside fellow gang members disguised as passengers and as their taxis start moving faster towards the Sting Corner area, they would attack their victims more often women and force them to surrender their valuables.
“Some will even allege they are raped by these criminals,” Commissioner Bah revealed.
He further revealed that these 5 suspects have confessed to committing 4 cases of similar attacks that have been reported to the Bakau police station. “We have called the complainants to come and identify these suspects and we will develop their files.”
Police commissioner for Kanifing Municipality, Samba Jawo, pledged that the police will remain on high alert in pursuing and breaking down these taxi criminal networks. “We will not relent in pursuing these criminals. We have a duty to make sure we police this region and make it a very safe region. We are going to get more people as this is a network.”
