The Dakar Central Police Station's Urban Security Service has dismantled a gang that burglarized apartments between Plateau and Maristes. Their modus operandi consisted of renting a vehicle in Dakar's parking lots. Elegantly dressed, Samba Guissé and Moustapha Diouf targeted certain buildings to commit their crimes in broad daylight, in the absence of the owners.

Samba Guissé was tasked with knocking on the door of the apartment, which he had repeatedly inspected to ensure no one was inside. He then called his accomplice, Moustapha Diouf, who was waiting for him in the vehicle parked in front of the building. In their expensive clothes, the two thieves thus deceived the vigilance of the security guards, posing as distinguished guests. It was under these circumstances that the two burglars broke down the apartment door and stole money, gold jewelry, and electronic equipment.

Through this process, the suspects stole more than eight million CFA francs in cash and gold jewelry estimated at millions of CFA francs. They also burglarized an apartment in Les Maristes, where they stole gold jewelry worth three million CFA francs, a 55-inch television, an HP computer, 400,000 CFA francs, and a video game console, according to Seneweb sources close to the prosecutor's office. The burglars also robbed two apartments in Plateau.

But Guissé and Diouf were betrayed by the surveillance cameras installed at the targeted apartment. Alerted to the burglary by his phone connected to the video surveillance system, the apartment owner alerted his two neighbors by phone, but when they arrived, the thieves threatened them with a firearm.

The burglars managed to steal a whopping 7 million CFA francs, jewelry, and a video game console. They committed a second burglary in Plateau, where they stole approximately 1.2 million CFA francs and a tablet.

Faced with multiple denunciations and three complaints filed, elements of the Urban Security Service of the Dakar central police station took charge of the case. Using CCTV footage, Commissioner Ismaïla Goudiaby's men were able to arrest the two suspects.

Under summary interrogation, Moustapha and Samba denied the charges. Summoned by investigators, parking lot managers declared that they had rented them vehicles, providing supporting documents to prove their good faith. Confronted with these elements of the investigation, Guissé and Diouf finally confessed and asked for leniency.

Placed in police custody for criminal conspiracy, multiple thefts committed in a group with break-ins and use of firearms and vehicles, the two suspects known to the police were brought before the Dakar High Court yesterday, Monday.