Sudanese police arrest 2,000 in Khartoum anti-crime sweep

JULY 18, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese police have arrested more than 2,000 people during a sweeping security crackdown on crime in Khartoum state, officials said on Saturday, as authorities try to restore order to a capital heavily disrupted by war.

The state prosecution is supervising investigations into all those detained during the security sweeps, which targeted what officials called “negative phenomena.”

Since the Sudanese Armed Forces reclaimed control over most parts of Khartoum state, the capital has experienced a sharp rise in looting, theft, and gang activity. The surge follows a protracted collapse of the local security apparatus, widespread weapon proliferation, and the challenges faced by residents returning to neighbourhoods lacking basic services.

Security forces have scaled up operations in recent months to track down criminal networks, recover stolen goods, and tighten controls across several districts.

Police spokesperson Brigadier General Fath al-Rahman Mohamed al-Tom told Sudan Tribune that the arrests were concentrated in the Jebel Aulia, Sharg al-Nil, El Salha, and Umbada areas.

Al-Toam said the police, working in coordination with other security branches, have deployed an urgent security plan for the capital. The strategy includes setting up 473 fixed checkpoints, increasing mobile patrols, and establishing five security cordons around the state.

The operations have so far led to 362 criminal cases being opened and the recovery of more than 2,700 pieces of looted private property, including electrical appliances, computers, and household goods.

Police forces also seized quantities of narcotics and dismantled a gang accused of terrorizing residents in Jebel Aulia.

Al-Toam added that authorities detained and deported 365 foreign nationals for residency violations, transferred 165 refugees back to designated camps, and dismantled more than 23,000 illegal squatter settlements.

A further 33 suspects were arrested, and several motorcycles were seized ahead of expected court appearances, the spokesperson said.