Police arrest members of racket involved in car number plate theft
Police in Kampala have arrested two members of a racket involved in plucking off car registration plates and extort money from owners.
According to deputy Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire, two suspects including Brian Natamba and Saul Katushabe were arrested after reports from community members from the areas of Lubowa, Zzana, Bunamwaya, Katale, Bukwenda, Seguku and Nalumunye.
Keep Reading
“After plucking off the car registration plates, the suspects would leave their mobile phone contacts on the vandalised car, which the victims were expected to call for details about the whereabouts of their motor vehicle plates. When the victims call the suspects' mobile phone number, the receiver tells them to send them money first before they reveal to them where they hid the licence plates,”Owoyesigyire said.
He noted that the suspects were tracked down using new technology acquired to fight crime and arrested from areas of Sseguku and Namasuba before leading police to where they had hidden the number plates.
“At least 46 different number plates were recovered and verification of owners is still ongoing.”
Such rackets involved in plucking off number plates from vehicles and use them as bait for getting money from owners have terrorized different parts of the country for over four years.
The groups indiscriminately target members of the public.
On several occasions, the racket has been busted and members arrested but have resumed their activities on release from prison.
The deputy Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed the two suspects had earlier been arrested, sent to prison but resumed their activities after release.
“Our crime database shows that the duo were arrested before on the similar offence of stealing from motor vehicles and remanded to prison. They started from where they stopped upon release from the prison. They will be arraigned in courts of law again as soon as investigations are done,”Owoyesigyire said.
