According to a statement from the Criminal Investigation Service (SIC), the presidents of the Taxi Drivers and Loaners Association (ATLA), the Taxi Stop Brigades Association (Abtax), and the Dois PN Cooperative (2PN) were arrested.
The SIC reports that they were arrested for acts constituting criminal association, incitement to violence, threatening transportation safety, and terrorism, "substantiated by strong evidence of their involvement in promoting acts of vandalism and disorder against public and private property and services, carried out at the end of July of this year."
An online sales agent, a teacher, and a journalist were also arrested between Wednesday and Thursday "for acts constituting criminal association, document forgery, terrorism, and financing of terrorism."
According to the SIC, the records contain "strong evidence of their involvement in the production and dissemination of false information on social media, promotion of demonstrations, and looting."
"Their arrest is the result of a thorough ongoing investigation, which revealed their direct involvement in these events," the statement emphasizes, adding that the citizens will be brought before the Public Prosecutor's Office for further legal proceedings.
In recent weeks, the SIC has made several arrests, including two Russian citizens, as well as leaders of taxi associations and cooperatives, who organized a three-day taxi strike at the end of July, which was marked by acts of vandalism, looting, and destruction of public and private property.
From these riots, which spread across other provinces and had their epicenter in Luanda, the country's capital, the National Police reported a death toll of 30, including one police officer, 277 injured, and over 1,500 arrests.
Since then, arrests have continued, the first to be announced being that of the vice-president of the National Association of Taxi Drivers of Angola (ANATA), followed by its president and other officials from other taxi associations and cooperatives.
