The Keur Massar Research Brigade has dismantled a gang of cattle rustlers who had been operating in the Rufisque department for several months. Three members of the network have been arrested, according to Seneweb sources.

A series of robberies that terrorized the farmers.

For several months, the Rufisque department had been experiencing a worrying surge in cattle thefts. A determined gang of criminals was brazenly attacking the properties of others to seize their livestock, sowing insecurity and fear among honest citizens.

These individuals, known for their penchant for theft, operated at night with remarkable audacity. Their modus operandi consisted of targeting orchards and farms, mostly located in the areas of Sangalkam, Bambilor, Diamniadio and Sébikotane, which they raided at night to steal Montbéliarde and Normande breed cows.

Between July 17, 2025 and January 10, 2026, the gang perpetrated six major attacks. The nights of October 22-23, 2025, November 12-13, November 17-18, December 3, 2025, and January 9-10, 2026 were marked by raids carried out by about ten people armed with machetes, travelling in vehicles.

These criminals notably targeted farms belonging to MD, PMG, PBG and AB, taking with them more than fifty local breed cattle, Montbéliards, Normans and other cattle.

The questioning of the mastermind

In the night of January 9-10, 2026, around 6 a.m., as the gang had just stolen three Montbéliarde and Normande cows belonging to PMG, Idrissa SOW alias Idèle was caught red-handed by young people from the DiackSao neighborhood, while he was in the company of Mansour BA and Oumar SOW, also known as Mbaye SOW, to load the cattle.

However, Mansour BA, a member of the gang, managed to evade justice by abandoning his machete at the scene. The following day, around 5 p.m., thanks to standard technical searches, he was apprehended by the gendarmes after taking refuge in the bush near Gorom, in an abandoned building with his herd of goats.

Technical investigations conducted by the Keur Massar Research Brigade have allowed investigators to reconstruct the organization of this criminal network. Data analysis revealed that the gang consisted of about ten people scattered throughout the areas of Ndiakhirate Peulh, Bambilor, Noflaye, Gorom, Sébikotane, and their surroundings.

Their operational strategy was well-established: after locating a target to attack, the members would meet nearby, share instructions, and then carry out the operation. Once the raids were completed, the receivers would sell themselves to E. SALL, a butcher living in Guédiawaye, who would send a vehicle to transport the stolen livestock.

The plaintiffs' testimonies confirmed the facts. They all recounted how the thefts unfolded and demanded that justice be served.

During the period from January 2025 to January 2026, the gendarmes recorded six cattle thefts with a total loss exceeding 50 million CFA francs, not counting the moral and physical damage suffered by the victims.

The investigation also revealed that Oumar SOW, also known as Mbaye SOW, and Djiby SOW, alias Mandoumbé, had already been arrested by the gendarmerie in April and July 2025, but had been released. They continued their criminal activities within the gang.

Three arrests and appearance before the prosecutor

Following the in-depth investigation carried out by the Keur Massar Research Brigade, three members of the network were formally identified and taken into custody: Idrissa SOW alias Idèle, Oumar DIA and Mansour BA.

The accused are being prosecuted for conspiracy, multiple thefts of livestock committed at night using a vehicle, and receiving stolen goods. These offenses are defined and punishable under Articles 238, 239, 364, 366, and 430 of the Penal Code.

In accordance with the instructions of Cheikh Diakhoumpa, Public Prosecutor at the High Court of Rufisque, Idy SOW alias Idèle, Oumar DIA and Mansour BA were brought before the court on January 14, 2026.

The search continues actively to apprehend the other members of the gang still at large, including O.SOW alias Oumoro, O.SOW dit Mbaye SOW, M.SOW alias Danguine, H.SOW, D.SOW alias Mandoumé, I.Ndoyenne, O. DIA and E.SALL the fence.