Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) is concerned about the persistent circulation of ‘Al-Shabaab’ brand razors, of unknown origin but now for sale in three provinces – Cabo Delgado, Maputo City and Manica.
In a note dated June 22, 2021, General Commander of the PRM Bernardino Rafael orders provincial commanders and the police Special Operations Units “to carry out activities of collection, analysis and processing of information related to Al-Shabaab brand razors and other materials associated with propaganda actions of the terrorist group”.
The note also instructs the police to “strengthen the control of the movement of goods in coordination with the customs authorities at the checkpoints”, as well as “strengthen surveillance and patrolling in cities, towns and villages, aiming to dismantle and combat any adverse phenomena that threaten the public order and security and improve the tactical-operative positioning of forces on the ground”.
‘Carta’ has established that Al-Shabaab brand razors have been on sale in municipal markets in the city of Pemba, the provincial capital of Cabo Delgado, since 2020. In 2021, the product appeared in Maputo city, and can now be found in Manica province.
A few days ago, agents of the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) and the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) in Maputo detained a Nigerian woman who was selling the razors at Xipamanine market.
The razors are seen as possible propaganda by the terrorist group, known locally as Al-Shabaab, which continues to sow mourning and terror in some districts of Cabo Delgado province.
Bernardino Rafael also recalls in his note that police units have recently been attacked in some parts of Tete and Nampula by small groups of people pretending to be victims of terrorism in order to gain access to the interior of those provinces. The source observes that this is the modus operandi used by the insurgents at the beginning of the terrorist attacks on the district of Mocímboa da Praia in October, 2017.
By
Omardine Omar
