Police arrests 3, recovers another gun in crack down on armed gang terrorizing Kampala

A joint security team led by police has arrested two people suspected to have been part of the armed gang that terrorized Kampala in the past few weeks.

According to Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga, following an intelligence led operation, they were able to arrest two former convicts who had recently completed their sentences and released suspected to have masterminded the murder of two women in Zzana who were operating a mobile money shop.

“They include Emma Onechan and Denis Magusho , bringing the total number of arrest to three; following the initial arrest of Stanley Muluuta alias Frank Jjumba alias Ssalongo,” Enanga said on Saturday afternoon.

On Tuesday last week, armed thugs travelling on motorcycles attacked a mobile money point in Zzana, Makindye Ssabagabo in Wakiso district before killing the occupants.

According to eyewitnesses, the incident that happened at around 10pm saw the armed thugs park near the mobile point at around 9pm and waited for Harriet Nalwadda, 33, a mobile money agent and Maureen Nakabuubi, 25 to count their day’s earnings and as they left the point, they were shot dead by the thugs who later vanished in thin air.

According to the police mouthpiece, the two former convicts arrested were part of the group that robbed the mobile money point after killing the occupants in Zzana.

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Enanga said that it is highly suspected that the two suspects and others still at large are connected to the multiple shootings in Masaka in which a Toyota Harrier was robbed and later sold in South Sudan.

According to the police publicist, the duo and other members of the same gang on May 4 robbed a bag containing a pressure machine and clothes after mistaking it for cash.

“On May 14, at Nateete, Church Zone, they robbed Mr Dennis Mwesiwa and his wife of Shs610, 000 and other items before shooting dead Rachael Walugembe whereas on May 17 at Kitende A cell, they robbed Sanyu Nalukwago a mobile money dealer of Shs17 million,”Enanga said.

According to police, by the time of their arrest, the duo and others still at large were planning to rob a mobile money shop at Mutukula in Rakai district.

3 guns recovered

Enanga said as part of the operation that led to the arrest of the duo, police had recovered an AK47 rifle to bring the number of guns to three.

He noted that all the guns were tested and ballistic evidence linked the suspects to the three murders and five robberies after the guns matched with the shell castings exhibited by their detectives.

“The suspects are being charged with a range of offences including three counts of murder, attempted murder, robbery and illegal possession of firearms,”Enanga said.

He added that police has increased its intelligence on former convicts released from prison in a bid to create a hostile environment preventing them from committing crimes.

Past incidents

Last month there was an attack in which six thugs armed with guns and riding on three motorcycles raided Cheap hardware in Nansana killing three people including one of the managers and left others injured.

They would later rob the hardware shop of an unspecified sum of money.

According to eye witnesses business came to a standstill for over 20 minutes when the robbers wearing masked sealed off Hoima road without any vehicle allowed to move.

They later fired bullets in the air to dispel off any possible attacker before robbing the hardware shop in broad day light before taking off with their loot.

Earlier, there had been another armed robbery in Mpererwe along Gayaza road in which huge sums of money were stolen from a supermarket.

The recent spate of armed robberies in various parts of the city have raised concern over the security of the country despite the erection of CCTV cameras and deployment of Local Defence Units to complement police efforts.

Speaking during the unveiling of the Police Crime report for the year 2018, CID Director Grace Akullo said the increased number of boda bodas and advancement in technology have greatly led to increase in crime.

“There is widespread use of boda bodas making it easy for people to commit crimes and later escape easily,”Akullo said.