Armed men rob gold worth Shs5.5bn from dealer

The Police Flying Squad Unit has launched a manhunt for unknown armed thugs who robbed gold worth shs5.5 billion from a dealer’s vehicle in Kiryandongo  that was destined for Kampala.

According to police spokesperson, Fred Enanga, the incident happened at around midnight in Bweyale town council on Good Friday when three armed men travelling in a Toyota Wish blocked another vehicle belonging to a metal testing and melting company and was destined for Kampala for testing.

“The thugs were donning military-like fatigue with an AK-47 and pistol robbed eight bags belonging to the melting and testing company. Mumbere Mufazaala , the driver and  his  co-driver  Gobuli Charles  of the vehicle belonging to the company that deals loaded the eight packets  and drove destined for Kampala for the company’s offices,”Enanga said.

He explained that employees of the company that deals in gold and sodium who were driving a vehicle registration number UBE 081M were along the way intercepted by unknown thugs who were travelling in a Toyota Wish .

These were later tied and beaten by the armed assailants who later robbed the eight gold packets as well as their phones before abandoning the victims and drove off to an unknown destination towards Kampala.

“We have dispatched Flying Squad because this is a very sensitive operation involving items worth billions of shillings,”Enanga said.

He however blamed the melting and testing company of risking the luggage by transporting it without assigning any security personnel to accompany it since it was worth huge sums of money.

“We believe there is an inside job considering how the thugs got to know about the gold being transported. Investigations will help us find out all this.”

Background

Of late, dealing in gold has become so lucrative but very risky in various areas around the country.

A number of people posing as gold dealers have fleeced many of their hard earned money in fake gold transactions.

Also, a number of gold dealers have been killed by armed robbers who target the precious metal.

Recently, Robert Kifunga Aguma a Kampala lawyer and NRM registrar for  Bundibugyo was killed in a non-existent gold deal and shs42 million robbed from him.

The incident happened when Aguma’s best friend, one Bwambale Sunday Swaibu lied to him and forced him to withdraw the money from the bank in Fort Portal before leading him to the “gold dealers” in Bundibugyo from where the lawyer was killed , money robbed and body dumped in a path.

Bwambale has since confessed to masterminding the murder and robbery but also attending the deceased’s funeral so that relatives could not suspect him.

He together with others have since been arrested and remanded by court in Bundibugyo over murder and aggravated robberies.

Last week, a gold dealer was shot dead by unknown armed men in Kassanda.