This article discusses crime in Suriname.

Crime by type

Murder

In 2012, Suriname had a murder rate of 6.1 per 100,000 population. There were a total of 33 murders in Suriname in 2012.''Global Study on Homicide''. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2013.
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Illegal drug trade

Suriname is a transit zone for

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cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...

en route to

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and to a lesser extent the

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. Inadequate resources, limited law enforcement training, the absence of a law enforcement presence in the interior, and lack of aircraft or sufficient numbers of

patrol boats A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...

limit the capacity of the government to control its borders."Suriname 2014 Crime and Safety Report", Overseas Security Advisory Council, US State Department, 22 August 2014.
/ref> There have been sporadic instances of drug trade-related violence between individuals associated with competing drug trafficking organizations. These have included

assassinations Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have a ...

, drive-by shootings, and hand grenades tossed over residential walls.

Robbery

Robbery, including thefts of backpacks and purses, pickpocketing, theft of jewelry (especially necklaces), and cell phones are regular occurrences. These incidents often occur in those areas frequented by foreigners. Tourist areas are common targets for thieves and muggers who often rob victims of their possessions during the hours of darkness. Residential

burglaries Burglary, also called breaking and entering and sometimes housebreaking, is the act of entering a building or other areas without permission, with the intention of committing a criminal offence. Usually that offence is theft, robbery or murder ...

are an issue. There have been reports of tourists and foreigners being robbed while traveling in the countryside, and occasional reports of bandits on rural roads. There have been reports of attacks against fishing boats in and around the waters of Suriname.

By location

Paramaribo

While some areas of

Paramaribo Paramaribo (; ; nicknamed Par'bo) is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on the banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 241,000 people (2012 census), almost half of Suriname' ...

are safer than others, there are no areas that can be considered completely safe. Criminals move without restriction into and out of neighborhoods where

expatriates An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...

live, often utilizing scooters or motorcycles to evade police. The Paramaribo Central area and the Palmentuin (Palm Garden) area are known to be less than safe after dark. Pick pocketing and robbery are increasingly common in the major business and shopping districts in Paramaribo."Suriname travel advice - Safety and security", United Kingdom Government foreign travel advice.
/ref> There were a dozen murders of homeless men in Paramaribo between 2006 and 2014, with some of the killings appearing to be ritualistic."Homeless slayings in Suriname capital go unsolved", Jamaica Observer, February 09, 2014.
/ref>

Crime dynamics

Criminals often carry firearms and other weapons and do not hesitate to use them, especially if victims resist. Although the possession of

handguns A handgun is a short- barrelled gun, typically a firearm, that is designed to be usable with only one hand. It is distinguished from a long gun (i.e. rifle, shotgun or machine gun, etc.), which needs to be held by both hands and also braced ...

is illegal, many criminals possess them.

References

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