Kinshasa: More than 500 suspected troublemakers apprehended in Gombe

Kinshasa, July 30^th, 2026 (CPA).- More than five hundred (578) suspected troublemakers have been apprehended during a reinforced patrol led  during the night of Wednesday to Thursday in Gombe, a municipality in the north of Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to a statement.“578 people were arrested during the night of Wednesday, July 29^th to Thursday, July 30^th, during a reinforced patrol carried out by the Gombe Urban Police Station. Led by Divisional Commissioner Israel Kantu, this operation has involved tracking down suspected troublemakers as well as anyone disturbing the peace of citizens in Kinshasa city centre,” it is read in the statement from the Provincial Headquarters of the Congolese National Police (PNC) in the town of Kinshasa. According to the source, the security operation covering several streets and sensitive areas in in Gombe has led to the arrest of several suspects as well as individuals whose behaviour raised suspicions of involvement in illegal activities. “Among the 578 people arrested were 487 men, 50 women – mostly prostitutes engaging in their activities at night in the municipality of Gombe – 37 children, and four (4) people presented as mentally ill, though two of them revealed themselves to be perfectly lucid individuals who were pretending to be mad,” has added the document. According to the text, following this operation, the city’s police commander has congratulated the police officers engaged for their professionalism, whilst also ordering the arrest of twelve police officers for violating instructions, including a major, a lieutenant, a driver and nine other agents. “The provincial commissioner has also announced that this operation marks the start of a series of enhanced patrols,” the same source has indicated. “These operations will be gradually extended to other municipalities in Kinshasa in order to restore and strengthen the state’s authority in the capital,” has specified the document. The statement indicates that the head of the Congolese National Police in Kinshasa has called on the public to cooperate with the police in order to neutralise those responsible for the insecurity.