Four stores burgled in Darfur’s Nyala
December 24, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – A criminal gang on Friday night has burgled four commercial shops at the grand market in South Darfur’s capital, Nyala and stole large sums of money.
An owner of one of the shops told Sudan Tribune Saturday that an unknown criminal gang managed to break into the four stores after they cut holes in the roofs, saying they stole 68,000 pounds (SDG) (about $4250).
He added that the gang used iron cutting machines to sneak into the stores, saying the police and security patrols haven’t heard the sounds of the machines.
For his part, an official source told Sudan Tribune that the security services have developed a plan to protect the markets and arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
Meanwhile, a group of four gunmen on a vehicle carrying unlicensed plates has attacked a merchant in Al-Naseem neighborhood in down town Nyala at 7:00 am (local time) on Saturday.
Eyewitnesses told Sudan Tribune that the gunmen stole 53,000 pounds (SDG) (about $3300) after severely beating the merchant saying the security organs didn’t capture the culprits.
According to them, the merchant was transferred to Nyala Teaching Hospital for treatment.
Several merchants have expressed fear over renewed looting attacks in Nyala, saying such incidents usually end up with filing charges against unknown persons.
They demanded South Darfur government to provide security and protect their property against the criminal gangs.
Nyala residents have recently expressed concern over the return of the lawlessness situation which prevailed in the city before imposing the emergency situation.
Following several looting and killing incidents last June, South Darfur state deployed large military reinforcements to enhance security and curb looting crimes in Nyala.
Since July 2014, the governor of South Darfur Adam Mahmoud Jar al-Nabi, declared an indefinite emergency situation in the state, including a curfew from 07:00 pm to 07:00 am (local time) in Nyala.
The decision also banned riding of motorcycles by more than one person, holding weapons while wearing civilian clothes, vehicles driving around without license plates, and wearing of Kadamool (a turban which covers the face).
(ST)