Mogadishu — Somali police in Wadajir district carried out a planned overnight operation in several neighbourhoods, arresting a group of suspected criminals accused of violently robbing residents of their mobile phones, authorities said in a statement Monday.

According to the official police communiqué, the suspects -- described as young men -- were apprehended while allegedly in the act of committing a crime.

They are accused of routinely targeting civilians in a spate of street thefts that have plagued the district in recent weeks.

"The suspects were using toy pistols to intimidate members of the public and forcibly snatch mobile phones," the statement read.

Police say the men are now in custody at the Wadajir district station, where further investigations are underway. Authorities vowed to prosecute the suspects and bring them before the law.

The Wadajir district police also noted that this was not the first time such gangs had been apprehended in the area.

They reaffirmed their commitment to ongoing efforts aimed at ensuring public safety and combating criminal activity.