Dakar police dismantle air conditioner theft ring

Police in Dakar have dismantled a criminal network involved in the theft of air conditioning units, resulting in the arrest of five individuals. The investigation was launched following a complaint on September 2, 2026, regarding the disappearance of 32 outdoor air conditioning units from a construction site near the Gare roundabout.

Investigators determined that security guards stationed at the site were complicit in the thefts. The suspects used a method of covering surveillance cameras with clothing to allow accomplices to enter the site at night. The stolen equipment was then transported using a handcart to be sold.

The total financial loss is estimated to exceed 70 million CFA francs. During interrogations, several guards confessed that the thefts had been occurring for several months. The stolen units were being sold to fences for between 20,000 and 25,000 CFA francs each, a fraction of their actual market value.