December 23, 2024
During a press conference held on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, at the General Directorate of the Haitian National Police (PNH), Director General Rameau Normil presented the initial results of operations and interventions carried out jointly by the PNH and the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMSS). These actions follow the establishment of a state of security emergency in the West and Artibonite departments.
The operations resulted in the following outcomes: sixty-five individuals were arrested, several of whom have already been brought to justice. Nineteen firearms were seized, as well as seven vehicles. In addition, five prison escapees were apprehended, and considerable quantities of drugs were confiscated, including 9.24 kilograms of cocaine and 6.089 kilograms of marijuana. Notably, one hundred and four bandits were killed during these interventions.
The intervention zones include sectors such as Croix-des-Missions, Drouillard, Delmas, Croix-des-Bouquets, and Tabarre. Mr. Normil also mentioned recent operations in Gressier, where forty suspected bandits were eliminated during clashes with the police. These efforts have led to a notable decrease in kidnapping cases in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area compared to July 2023.
Since July 3, 2024, the enhanced collaboration between the PNH and the MMSS has intensified police presence in strategic areas, including Toussaint Louverture International Airport, downtown Port-au-Prince, Champs-de-Mars, and the National Port Authority (APN).
The Director General also discussed the intervention on July 21, 2024, in Ganthier, where law enforcement officers were deployed in response to alerts regarding the presence of armed men from the 400 Mawozo gang. Several bandits were injured in exchanges of fire with law enforcement officers.
During this press briefing, Rameau Normil reiterated his command’s determination to combat insecurity in Haiti. He called on the population to remain confident and to collaborate with the police in this fight against serious crime, stressing the progress made and the importance of community cooperation in maintaining security and public order.