Senegal arrests 14 members of alleged paedophile gang linked to France

According to Senegalese authorities, a gang of pedophiles operating between the country and France has been disbanded and 14 people have been apprehended. According to a police statement, the arrested individuals, all of whom are Senegalese, were members of a “transnational” criminal organization that has been active since 2017.

According to the report, the group was charged with “intentional transmission of HIV/AIDS, pimping, rape of minors under the age of 15, sodomy, and organized paedophilia.” They allegedly coerced boys into engaging in “unprotected sex” with primarily HIV-positive men on multiple occasions while recording the encounter.According to reports, four of the defendants were acting “in exchange for money transfers” and “on the orders” of a Frenchman who was detained in France in April 2025.

After searches in a number of Dakar neighborhoods and the city of Kaolack, which is 200 kilometers (124 miles) southeast of the capital, the 14 accused were taken before a magistrate on Friday.

“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.

Coordinated raids were conducted at the residences of the different suspects, according to a police statement issued on Sunday, and objects thought to be connected to the suspected crimes were taken.

According to the statement, a group of French officers participated in the operation, which was carried out in collaboration between Senegal and France.In addition to releasing a toll-free number for the public to submit any pertinent information, the police have promised to keep hunting down and breaking up these criminal networks.