Security forces in Ethiopia’s Benishangul Gumuz regional state located in the western part of the country have arrested 172 individuals suspected of involvement in violent crimes, an Ethiopian official said on Thursday.
The 172 individuals were arrested in a crackdown on suspected criminals in the Benishangul Gumuz regional capital city Assosa. Usman Asadiq, Deputy Chief, Assosa city police department, said a two-week-long crackdown on suspected criminals in the city has resulted in the arrest of 172 suspected criminals, reported state media outlet Ethiopia News Agency (ENA).
Asadiq said the suspects are accused of involvement in various crimes ranging from robberies to housing and land related documents fraud. “We’ve recovered scores of refrigerators, television sets, computers, clothes, household equipments and hard currency during the two week-long anti-crime crackdown,” said Asadiq.
Asadiq further said criminal charges are being prepared against the 172 suspects. He also called on the general public to give information on any criminal activities as well as the hiding places of suspected criminals. In recent years, increasing incidences of crime in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa and other major cities have led to the Ethiopian government to make mass arrests of suspected
