Police in Senegal have arrested 14 people and broken up a pedophile gang that was operating between France and the African nation.
According to a statement released by the police, all of those arrested are Senegalese and were part of a “transnational” criminal group that has been in operation since 2017.
Cops revealed that the pedophile gang was accused of “pimping, rape of minors under 15, sodomy, and intentional transmission of HIV/Aids” in Senegal.
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They allegedly repeatedly forced boys to have “unprotected sex” with men who were mostly HIV-positive and recorded it, officials said.
According to the BBC, four of the accused are said to have been acting “on the instructions” of a Frenchman detained in France back in April 2025 “in exchange for money transfers”.
On Friday, the 14 accused were brought before a judge after searches in multiple neighborhoods in Dakar, and the city of Kaolack, 200km (124 miles) south-east of the capital.
A police statement released on Sunday said coordinated raids had taken place at the homes of the various suspects, with items believed to be linked to the alleged crimes seized.
“The DIC [Criminal Investigations Division] carried out a major operation, dismantling a transnational organised criminal group whose members are based primarily between France and Senegal,” the police said.
Also, the statement revealed that the operation was conducted through cooperation between Senegal and France, with a delegation of French officers involved in the mission.
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Cops have pledged to continue pursuing and dismantling such criminal networks and have released a toll-free number for the public to report any relevant information.
