Haitian police warn criminals as several bandits have been killed over six months

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti – The Acting Director-General of the National Police of Haiti (PNH), Frantz Elbé, says he is satisfied with the efforts by law enforcement authorities to deal with security in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country over the last six months.

Elbé, who replaced Léon Charles when he resigned last November, told a news conference that there had been 4,998 arrests for various offenses, including theft, murder, kidnapping, and illegal possession of firearms during the past six months.

He told reporters that 94 bandits had been fatally injured during exchanges of gunfire, one boat seized in the context of the fight against drugs and that 25 kilos of cocaine and 658 kilos of marijuana had been taken.

He said 234 firearms were seized, 21 motor vehicles recovered, and 20 motorcycles confiscated. The acting top police official said US$78,520 and HTG34, 220, 575 (One Haitian Gourde=US$0.009 cents) had also been seized during the last six months.

He said regarding the ongoing clashes between rival criminal gangs, the deployment of the security forces has so led to the arrest of 54 individuals, several bandits killed, three police officers injured, and several bandits were fatally injured.

Elbé said 16 firearms were seized and seven motor vehicles and ten motorcycles and warned criminals that the security forces would be relentless in their efforts to defeat them.

“The government has just made considerable disbursements to acquire equipment and materials for the police institution,” he added.

The announcement by the Acting PNH Director-General follows an operation between security forces and criminal gangs on Sunday in the Marécage area, a communal section of Morne Rouge, resulting in the deaths of seven bandits.

The police said that two of the criminals, Joseph Robson and Belizaire Richardson, both 21 years old, were arrested during the operation.

The police said that they had also seized several guns and ammunition, and the police have praised the members of the population for their support in discovering the bandits.