Maputo, 4 Mar (AIM) – Mozambican authorities recorded over the last year 17 cases of kidnappings of businesspeople in Maputo city.
According to Vicente Joaquim, Secretary of State in Maputo City, speaking on Monday, during his working visit to the Police command in the country’s capital, of these kidnappings, 13 cases were completed and 4 were foiled.
He added that of these 17 cases recorded over the last year, two were solved and two kidnappers were arrested.
“In 2024, we recorded 17 kidnapping cases, compared to 10 that were recorded in 2023. Most of the cases occurred in the Ka Mpfumu municipal district, with a total of 11 cases. The measures taken in general terms were to communicate with the operational force on the ground, collect evidence at the scene and follow up on the endeavors to clarify the cases”, he said.
Since the first case of kidnappings was reported 12 years ago in Mozambique, 100 business people, most of them of Asian origin, have already left the country. According to the Strategic Analysis Report (RAE), published by the Mozambican Financial Intelligence Office (GIFiM), the wave of kidnappings has generated, since 2014, over 33 million dollars in money laundering.
The Mozambican Confederation of Business Associations (CTA) points out that most of the cases of kidnapping have not been solved, although the authorities claim to have identified some of the masterminds.
Joaquim also claimed that during 2024, relevant security actions were carried out to combat 8.070 various crimes, compared to 8,825 in 2023, which corresponds to a reduction of 755 cases (8.55 per cent).
“Of these cases, 7,487 were solved, equivalent to 92.7 percent of police activity. With regard to domestic violence, 1,958 cases were registered, compared to 1,937 of 2023, representing an increase of 21 cases, equivalent to one per cent”, he said.
(AIM)
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