Crime patterns in Chad are difficult to measure because national reporting is incomplete. In N’Djamena, armed robbery, street crime, theft, fraud and unrest create the main everyday risks. Carjacking can also occur outside the capital, including during the day. Kidnapping for ransom, trafficking and attacks by criminal or terrorist groups are especially relevant around the Lake Chad Basin and borders with Cameroon, Sudan and the Central African Republic. Farmer-herder violence is concentrated mainly in central and southern Chad and belongs primarily to the wider conflict and violence context, but police reporting and personal safety still matter. The east faces strong protection pressures linked to refugees, displacement, gender-based violence and trafficking. Gold-mining areas and remote transport corridors can involve additional exploitation and security risks. The Ministry of Public Security and Immigration coordinates the Police Nationale, Gendarmerie Nationale and Garde Nationale et Nomade du Tchad. Police Judiciaire investigates cases and the parquet or justice system handles prosecution. For immediate danger, the Ministry lists 117 for the Police Nationale, available around the clock since 2024. Local information also identifies 17 for police and 16 for the Gendarmerie. Foreign advisories cite other numbers, including 2020, 2121 or 121 for emergencies and 1212 for fire or ambulance, so local verification is sensible when a number does not connect. The listed emergency services are free. Response times and investigative capacity can vary greatly outside N’Djamena and other centres. A report can be made at a police commissariat, a Police Nationale post or a Gendarmerie brigade. The case may then move to the Police Judiciaire and parquet. Keep a copy of the complaint, request a reference number and record the date, place, names and identifying details of the officers who receive it. A trusted companion, lawyer, NGO or UNHCR partner may help where access, language, displacement or safety creates difficulties. Documented risks include arbitrary detention, mistreatment, corruption, intimidation, long pre-trial detention and harsh detention conditions. Do not photograph military or government sites or airports without permission, and carry identification or travel documents when travelling through checkpoints. Victim support is fragmented. The 1320 service addresses gender-based violence, 116 supports child protection, and the Ministry of Women and Early Childhood lists 6800 0000. CNAS can be reached at 6700 0000. Health services can provide treatment and help preserve medical evidence. CISM and listening centres, including services expanded in Adré, offer psychosocial support. NGOs, international organisations and UNHCR partners often provide the most practical assistance, particularly in eastern Chad and refugee sites. In 2024, 8,624 gender-based violence cases were registered, including 22 femicides; the recorded categories included rape, sexual aggression, sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, physical violence, child abuse, abduction, FGM/C and early or forced marriage. The same ministry data indicated that psychosocial support reached all recorded cases, while medical, legal and economic reintegration services covered smaller shares. Confidentiality and survivor-centred handling should be confirmed locally because implementation varies. Trafficking affects children from poor households, migrants, refugees, internally displaced people and returnees. Risks include domestic service, cattle or camel herding, begging, agriculture, gold mining, charcoal production, fishing around Lake Chad, forced marriage, domestic servitude, sexual exploitation and recruitment through Quranic schools or online platforms. The CNLTP or NCCTIP coordinates anti-trafficking work, while the Police Judiciaire and justice authorities handle criminal pathways. Chad's Ordinance 006/PR/2018 criminalises labour and sex trafficking and provides penalties of 4 to 30 years of imprisonment and fines from FCFA 250,000 to FCFA 5,000,000. Formal referral procedures exist, but implementation is inconsistent; in the 2025 reporting period, no state trafficking investigations, victim identifications, prosecutions or convictions were reported. International organisations identified and assisted 359 trafficking victims in 2024, while state funding remained limited. Children can be exposed to violence, exploitation, child marriage, forced labour, abduction and recruitment by Boko Haram, ISWA and other armed groups. The 116 line, social services, UNICEF and NGO case-management programmes provide functional child-protection options, including child-friendly spaces. Birth registration can help establish age and support access to protection. Where a specialised option is unavailable, contact the Police Nationale or Gendarmerie and request child-protection support. Chad's Law 009/PR/2015 covers cybersecurity, cybercrime and electronic evidence. ANSICE is the relevant cybersecurity and electronic-certification institution. Public evidence of a nationwide cybercrime hotline is limited, but online trafficking recruitment and related fraud should be reported to the police, ANSICE or 117. Preserve screenshots, URLs, usernames, messages, transaction records and dates. Do not continue communicating with a suspected offender or send further money. Everyday prevention is most effective when it matches the region and travel plan. Avoid walking alone or driving at night, isolated and poorly developed areas, large displays of valuables, high cash holdings, crowded markets, transport hubs and political or religious gatherings. Use secure vehicles arranged in advance, keep doors locked and windows closed, and plan fuel, water and communications for long journeys. Outside N’Djamena, daytime travel, convoys, permits or ministry authorisation, and in some situations police or military escort may be needed. Local dress and religious norms can affect personal safety. After a road crash, leave a growing crowd cautiously and contact police or a local authority. Medical and legal services may involve personal, NGO or UN-funded costs because no uniform national fee schedule applies.
Crime in Chad
Crime in Chad includes armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, trafficking, gender-based violence, child exploitation, theft, fraud and digital crime. Risks differ sharply between N’Djamena, border and Lake Chad areas, the east, and central and southern regions. Police and victim-support services exist but are unevenly available, especially outside major urban centres.
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