A gang of five thieves specialising in the theft of cars between Yaounde and Douala has been arrested in Yaounde, Centre Region of Cameroon.
The gang, said to be headed by an inmate of the Kondengui Central Prison in Yaoundé, was captured by gendarmerie officers. They were arrested in possession of 11 stolen vehicles.
One of the owners of the vehicle, while recounting the theft incident, explained, “I was leaving Douala, and I was with four other persons. They stopped us, removed sharp objects like knives, and pushed me out of the car.”
The gang was arrested thanks to investigations by the gendarmerie officers.
Lieutenant-Colonel Guy Herve Mvogo, Head of the Department for the Fight against Crime and Theft at the Gendarmerie No. 1 in Yaounde, while addressing the press explained, ” We apprehended them thanks to these sensors, and from there we were able to get more information.”
He went on to add that they put in place a, ” strategy to discover their mode of operation. That is when we realised they made use of ‘master keys’ which open all doors”.
Aside from the 11 vehicles, other objects such as guns, military attire, and identity cards were retrieved from the gang, which, according to reports, has been operating for two years.
“This was the second time that my car had been stolen. The first time, it was found and returned to me. Two months later, they stole it again,” recounted another victim whose car was recovered.
She expressed joy and gratitude, as she said, ” I have cried, I am speechless. This is the sweat of my labour and I say thank you immensely”.
It is believed that the arrest of the five thieves will go a long way in curbing the rate at which car theft is being executed in both the political and economic capitals of Cameroon.
