12 arrested over violent robbery caught on CCTV camera in Kampala

Police have arrested 12 people who are suspected to be members of the gang that recently targeted an Indian, robbing him of shs5 million in an incident caught on Police CCTV cameras in Kampala.

In the incident that happened last month, Jiwan Lal, an accountant working with Rigil Agrotech Company in Kololo who was travelling on a boda boda was attacked by 14 men travelling on seven other motorbikes before pouncing on him along Mawanda road in Kampala at around midday.

The incident capture on police CCTV cameras has sent shockwaves to members of the public.

However, according to Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga, they managed to retrieve footage from CCTV cameras that enabled them arrest 12 people who are members of the gang.

“We got 12 suspects and three motorcycles. The suspects have helped us reconstruct and document the scene. They have provided us useful information of how they would plant colleagues at boda boda stages who would join them while going for their robbery missions,”Enanga said.

In the July 25 incident, the 14 men travelling on seven motorcycles surrounded the motorbike on which the Indian was travelling before dragging him off and taking off with his bag containing shs5 million.

It is suspects that the attackers had got prior knowledge of the money that he was carrying and consequently trailed him.

The Police spokesperson said the gang involved in such robberies in various parts of the city follow their victims and are joined by colleagues planted at the nearby boda boda stages in orchestrating their mission.

“Among those arrested was a landlord who used to house the group whereas the gang leader escaped when he jumped over a fence in Kyengera but we are continuing with the pursuit,” he said.

The July 25 incident put the Police on the spot over the use of CCTV cameras.

Whereas Police officers at the CCTV command centre can easily detect an unusual crowd gathering but also monitor their activities before breaking them up, this was not the case with the instant case.

In the past, such incidents have been recorded on Police CCTV cameras including one that happened at the Jinja traffic lights junction.