The provincial branch of Gabon's General Directorate of Research (DGR) in Woleu-Ntem, supported by mobile companies and gendarmerie brigades from Bitam and Siat-Bitam, dismantled a group of Cameroonian criminals. The suspects, Mbie Desmond, Taki Colins, and Bryan Samuel, were jailed at Oyem Central Prison for attempted armed robbery with explosives on a cash transport vehicle. The incident occurred in September 2026.
According to reports, four Cameroonian nationals, employed at the Olam-Batouri site, had planned to rob the Sodec branch in Bitam, which was transporting funds for employee salaries. They had studied the vehicle's movements and planned an ambush between Atem and Edoum-Toulouse villages. A day before the robbery, they obtained industrial explosives, a detonator, and cables.
On September 6, the suspects took their positions and waited for the vehicle. At around 2 pm, the Sodec double-cabin vehicle, carrying seven bank agents and a gendarme, appeared. The robbers detonated the explosives, but the vehicle was only damaged, and its occupants escaped unharmed. The operation failed, and the suspects fled the scene.
Following the incident, the Oyem prosecutor's office instructed all judicial police units to investigate. A joint investigation by the DGR, mobile companies, and gendarmerie brigades from Bitam and Siat-Olam led to the arrest of the three suspects. They were subsequently jailed at the Peloton.
The failed robbery attempt was part of a series of crimes in the region. Recently, three bodies were recovered from the wreckage of the Prospector 5 drilling platform, which sank off the coast of Mayumba in southern Gabon. Additionally, a 68-year-old man died in a logging accident in Bakoumba.
The authorities have been working to combat various crimes in the region. Four individuals are facing trial for trafficking ivory after the discovery of four elephant tusks in Lastoursville. In another case, a 43-year-old man was arrested for selling a plot of land and then burglarizing the buyer in Port-Gentil.
The incidents highlight the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies to maintain security and order in Gabon. The government has been working to address various crimes, including armed robbery, logging accidents, and environmental incidents. The imprisonment of the three suspects serves as a deterrent to potential criminals in the region.
Key points
- Three Cameroonian nationals were arrested and jailed for attempting to rob a cash transport vehicle in Bitam, Gabon.
- The suspects planned to use explosives to rob the vehicle, but the operation failed, and they fled the scene.
- The incident is part of a series of crimes in the region, including logging accidents, environmental incidents, and armed robbery.
