Overview:
Police killed 5 members of the Koulou gang, arrested the girlfriend of one of many gang’s leaders, and confiscated firearms and ammunition throughout a pre-dawn raid in Cap-Haïtien on Could 3.
CAP-HAÏTIEN — Throughout a pre-dawn raid at 3:00 a.m. on Could 3, particular unit officers killed 5 members of the Koulou gang in Cap-Haïtien’s Nan Zonbi (Zombieland) neighborhood, together with the gang’s second-in-command, based on a press launch circulating on WhatsApp from the Haitian Nationwide Police (PNH). The operation additionally left one officer injured.
Romario Calixte, a police officer from the PNH’s twenty eighth promotion, sustained a gunshot wound to his left thigh. Medical doctors stated the damage shouldn’t be life-threatening.
The 5 gang members killed by police through the operation in Nan Zonbi had been recognized by their pseudonyms: Dessalines, the gang’s second-in-command, Tchaly, Peyton, Bicha and Còvè. Authorities didn’t launch their full names.
PNH additionally arrested Carla Saint Juste, 23, recognized as Dessalines’s girlfriend, on conspiracy fees.
The police operation in Nan Zonbi occurred towards a backdrop of rumors circulating about alleged gang members from Port-au-Prince infiltrating Cap-Haïtien. Police haven’t confirmed that the deceased Koulou gang members are from Port-au-Prince.
The operation is a part of a broader crackdown below Northern Division police director Serme Calixte, who took workplace on April 21. His plan seeks to determine and preemptively dismantle gang strongholds all through the area.
Figuring out and destroying gang bases is the “fundamental technique for safety,” as per Calixte’s plan, the police assertion stated. Along with the operation, extra law enforcement officials have been noticed on the highway dealing with site visitors since Calixte began his time period as departmental director.
Calixte’s push to enhance security comes at a crucial time, as Cap-Haïtien residents concern gang members from Port-au-Prince could invade town following their March 31 incursion into Mirebalais, a commune within the Centre Division.
Throughout the weekend operation in Cap-Haïtien, police confiscated two unlawful firearms, a 40-millimeter Taurus pistol and a zam kreyòl, or artisanal firearm, together with 12 bullets.
Three police items teamed up for the operation: the Judicial Discovery and Prevention Service, the Departmental Regulation Enforcement Unit, and the Investigative Bureau.