Police have cautioned residents of the capital Addis Ababa about the rise of motorcycle theft. In a statement released on Monday, the police said there has been a rise of theft in the city by criminals using motorcycles.
More than 60 thefts with motorcycles were recorded in the first half of the 2018-2019 fiscal year. Officials say the incident began around July last year and has been on a rise ever since.
The Addis Ababa Police Commission warned the general public to be cautious. Police also assured residents that many of these thieves have been arrested and there are ongoing operations to stop the trend. About 61 criminals involved in motorcycle-assisted theft have already been arrested by the police.
Theft using motorcycles happen very fast. The thieves usually grab bags or other items belonging to the victims before they speed off. These thieves are believed to travel around the city looking for victims.
Ethiopian police recently bought new weapons to better equip the force against criminals. The police bought helicopters and other weapons that will assist in the apprehension of criminals.
The police have also seized a large stock of weapons from across the country including Addis Ababa. About 382 Kalashnikov guns were seized over the past six months. Machine guns and explosives were also been seized by security officials.
Police say traffickers have been using sophisticated methods to smuggle weapons into Ethiopia from neighboring countries like Sudan.
