Senegal arrests 14 members of alleged paedophile gang linked to France

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AFP via Getty Images Senegalese gendarmes, in dark uniform and helmets, stand on a street corner in Dakar

Senegalese police say they have arrested 14 people and broken up a paedophile gang operating between the country and France.

Those arrested, who are all Senegalese, were part of a "transnational" criminal group that has been in operation since 2017, according to a police statement.

It said the group was accused of "organised paedophilia, pimping, rape of minors under 15, sodomy, and intentional transmission of HIV/Aids". They allegedly repeatedly forced boys to have "unprotected sex" with men who were mostly HIV-positive and filmed it.

Four of the accused are said to have been acting "on the instructions" of a Frenchman arrested in France in April 2025 "in exchange for money transfers".

The 14 accused were brought before a judge on Friday following searches in several neighbourhoods 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 been carried out 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.

The statement said the operation was conducted through cooperation between Senegal and France, with a delegation of French officers involved in the mission.

The police 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.