In recent days, Mozambique’s National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) has rescued two kidnapping victims and arrested five alleged kidnappers in Matola, 12 km to the west of Maputo city.
The rescue operations occurred in two separate operations.
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What stands out in the middle of the rescue operations has been the silence of the Mozambique’s police (PRM), which is known for not shying away from meddling in affairs beyond its purview, namely crime investigation.
Meanwhile, SERNIC continues its operational crusade to counter the narrative set by its police counterpart, which tries to take on tasks outside of its remit.
Sources within the security cluster claim that there is an institutional battle raging between PRM and the Attorney-General’s Office (PGR) over whether to dismantle SERNIC and share or take over the task of investigating crimes.
One thing for sure is that all these institutions share the responsibility of keeping public order. However, they are all infiltrated by organised crime syndicates.
Maybe SERNIC has decided to show that the way forward is to be more proactive in the fight against kidnappings as an autonomous institution rather than being subsumed into the other bodies. But for that, it will have to cull out the infiltrators or bear the brunt of the crime syndicates.
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