What You Need to Know
Mozambican police have detained Italian businessman Humberto Sartone and two associates on suspicion of trafficking and money laundering. The arrests were part of a broader investigation into organized crime, with authorities alleging the suspects are linked to a network involved in document forgery. The operation reflects ongoing efforts to combat high levels of criminality in Mozambique.
Africa-Press – Mozambique. Mozambican police have today detained, in Maputo, an Italian businessman and two other individuals identified as his associates on suspicion of trafficking and money laundering, the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) confirmed to Lusa.
The detainee is Italian businessman Humberto Sartone, owner of the Kaya Kwanga guesthouse, located in one of the capital’s upmarket areas, as well as his alleged associates Tarmomed Valai Mahomed, a Mozambican businessman of Pakistani origin, and his son Anass Tarmomed, according to SERNIC national spokesperson Hilário Lole.
In statements to Lusa, Lole said that among the suspicions raised by the Mozambican authorities is that the suspects are part of an organised crime network involved in money laundering and document forgery.
The arrest of two of the suspects was broadcast live by the Mozambican media during a search and seizure operation carried out by SERNIC and the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) at properties linked to the three suspects, as part of an ongoing investigation.
On Friday, Mozambican police had already carried out search and seizure operations at the residences and offices of the Italian businessman and three alleged associates, on suspicion of trafficking and money laundering.
The SERNIC spokesperson said later on Friday, at a press conference in Maputo, that the operation—conducted in coordination with the PRM—included searches at the residences and offices of Humberto Sartone, as well as properties linked to his associates, namely Manzar Saed Abbas, Tarmomed Valai Mahomed and Anass Tarmomed.
Following the search operation at the businessman’s guesthouse complex, Lole explained that the police action falls within the framework of combating trafficking, money laundering, and document forgery in the country.
On Friday, SERNIC also carried out simultaneous searches at the residences and offices of the other three individuals, as part of broader strategies to combat organised crime, which in the same week also led to the arrest in Maputo of three suspects allegedly linked to the Sinaloa Cartel.
Mozambique is among African countries with high levels of criminality and low resilience to organised crime, alongside Angola, according to the Africa Organized Crime Index 2025, presented in November in Kenya.
In the report, which measures levels of organised crime and resilience on a scale of one to ten, Mozambique scored 6.63, ranking eighth among African countries with the highest levels of criminality, in a list topped by the Democratic Republic of Congo with 7.47. Mozambique had increased its score by 0.43 compared to 2023, the year of the previous report.
Mozambique has been grappling with organized crime, particularly in relation to drug trafficking and money laundering. The country has seen a rise in criminal activities, with authorities struggling to maintain law and order. Recent reports indicate that Mozambique ranks among the African nations with the highest levels of organized crime, prompting increased law enforcement efforts to combat these issues. The Africa Organized Crime Index highlights the challenges faced by Mozambique in addressing these criminal networks, which have significant impacts on the country’s stability and security.
