Suspect seized as police recover gun, bullets

Police Commissioner of Operations and Training Paul Chagonja displays the firearm and bullets which were recovered after security forces battled with heavily armed gunmen at Amboni Caves in Tanga last weekend.  Mr Chagonja was briefing the media in Tanga yesterday.  PHOTO | EDWIN MJWAHUZI 

In Summary

• Heavily armed thugs ambushed police officers who were on  patrol in Tanga on January 26, and seized two sub-machine guns and several rounds of ammunition from the law enforcers.

Tanga. Police in Tanga have recovered a sub-machine gun (SMG) and 20 bullets believed to have been snatched from its officers by gunmen recently.

A suspect has been arrested in connection with the ambush on the police officers.

Heavily armed thugs ambushed police officers who were on  patrol in Tanga on January 26, and seized two sub-machine guns and several rounds of ammunition from the law enforcers.

The police director of operations and training, Mr Paul Chagonja, told reporters in Tanga yesterday that the stolen gun and ammunition were recovered in Amboni.

Hiding in the caves

According to Mr Chagonja, the arrested suspect was the one who led the police to the Amboni caves, where security personnel engaged in a fierce fighting with an armed gang that was hiding in the caves.

A Tanzania Peoples Defence Forces sergeant was killed and five other security personnel sustained severe  injuries in the fighting in the caves at the weekend. Police on Monday declared the area safe after a two-day operation to flush out the thugs.

Other than yesterday’s announced arrest and recovery of the gun and the 20 bullets, the security officials said more people in custody helping with interrogations over the matter. On Tuesday, however, the police said neither suspects nor  weapons were seized in the wake of the course of the fighting in the caves.

Yesterday, Mr Chagonja,  who led the operation, declined to name the suspects in custody, but promised to give out the names when investigations are complete. He confirmed, however, that one of them was behind the Tanga ambush on police officers.

He said the suspect was arrested at ‘Corner Z’ in Amboni, and after an intensive interrogation, he led them to his alleged accomplices who reacted by opening fire on the security personnel.

Asked whether the security forces found other items in the caves, Mr Chagonja said they saw nothing except “three injured blue monkeys and the SMG.”

“To be frank, we found nothing after searching the caves except the hidden gun and bullets and three blue monkeys,” he said.

He commended Tanga residents for co-operating with the police, calling for more support to help curb crime in the area. “I promise that the police will not rest until the other SMG is recovered,” he vowed.

Mr Chagonja also commended the media for being vigilant and truthful in reporting the incident.