These individuals extort money from sellers in Yaounde and its neighbourhood. Consequently, an investigation was launched, leading to the arrest of two fake gendarmes caught red-handed defrauding a trader, from whom they had collected the sum of 800,000 FCFA, in the Afanoyoa neighbourhood.

A search of their homes enabled the elements of the First Gendarmerie Region to seize military equipment, including a pair of handcuffs, Rangers boots, caps and T-shirts bearing the National Gendarmerie logo. During their interrogation, the alleged criminals confessed and indicated that they had been carrying out this dangerous activity for several years.

According to Lieutenant Claude MBOUTOU, Head of Criminal Investigation, Analysis and Card-Index Bureau at the SRJ/PRG, these fake gendarmes, aged 30 and 33, introduced themselves to their victims as elements of the First Gendarmerie Region and the Centre Gendarmerie Legion, and found pretexts to extort money from them. Their main targets were traders at the markets in Nkoleton, Nkoabang, Mokolo, Marché Central and Afanoyoa. According to the officer, around twenty victims have been identified and nearly 8 million has been swindled from them in two months.

These fake gendarmes will be brought before the State Counsel of the Yaounde Military Court in the days ahead. The investigation is ongoing at the SRJLCGB/PRG to arrest the accomplices.