Gambiaj.com – (Banjul, The Gambia) – The Gambia Police Force has made significant progress in its investigation into the armed robbery at El Hella Shop in Banjul, leading to multiple arrests and the recovery of stolen cash and firearms.

The robbery took place on Hagan Street, Banjul, at approximately 09:08 hrs, when two armed individuals stormed the shop, held the complainant, Muhammed Seedy Hydra, at gunpoint, and stole D1,245,000.00 and 1,650,000.00 CFA before fleeing. The attackers abandoned their getaway vehicle—an ash-colored BMW with no license plate—before escaping in a commercial vehicle to Sting Corner, where they divided the stolen money.

Following an extensive investigation, police arrested Ousainou Jobarteh, an Ivorian national residing in Busumbala, in the early hours of Sunday, February 9, 2025. Officers recovered D70,250 and 465,000 CFA from him. During interrogation, Jobarteh admitted to conspiring with Abdoulie Jallow, a 24-year-old resident of Barra, using his BMW with registration number BJL 4871B to carry out the crime.

Further police inquiries revealed that Amadou Wurry Jallow, a mechanic, had been instructed to drive the vehicle out of Banjul for maintenance and repainting to conceal evidence. However, police successfully intercepted the vehicle at Bond Road at about 21:00 hrs. Later that day, police arrested Abdoulie Jallow and his girlfriend, Bella James, at Serekunda Villa around 16:30 GMT. During the search, officers recovered D198,000 from Jallow, along with D24,000 in his Wave account, though no CFA currency was found.

Investigators discovered that the stolen money had been distributed among several individuals. Jobarteh admitted to entrusting D70,250 and 465,000 CFA to his wife, Tida Nyang, while giving her an additional D3,000 for personal use. He also revealed that he handed over D304,000 to Odile Secka, a female resident of Banjul, bringing the total amount given to third parties to D377,250 and 465,000 CFA.

During the course of the investigation, police recovered firearms and other incriminating evidence, further strengthening the case against the arrested individuals. Authorities are now working to determine whether the suspects are linked to other armed robberies in the country.

In a separate case, authorities in Guinea-Bissau arrested Ansu Jarju, a Gambian national, in connection with the Access Bank robbery in Brusubi. He was extradited to The Gambia through security bilateral agreements to face prosecution.

The Gambia Police Force commended its officers for their swift and decisive action in apprehending the suspects and recovering stolen property. The public has been urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity as police continue their investigations. Further updates will be provided as new developments emerge.