Gang arrested selling "cheap" stolen beef for the festive period

Kampala Metropolitan Police is pursuing a group of criminals who are allegedly supplying the city's hotels, restaurants, and butchers with steak from stolen cows over the holiday season.

According to KMP spokesperson Patrick Onyango, these criminals have been invading areas of Hoima, Mityana, Kyakwanzi and other parts of Uganda where they steal and slaughter cattle and eventually supply beef around Kampala.

This investigation kicked off on December 4, when the crime intelligence unit at Katwe police station received information that there was a gang that had raided areas of Busunju in Mityana district and stolen 12 cattle.

“They slaughtered eight (08) of them and kept the remaining four (04) in an unidentified premises in Bujuuko,” he said.

He further revealed that on December 9, the same gang went ahead and raided Busuuju but were intercepted by an angry mob which burnt their vehicle and recovered the cattle they had stolen.

“However, following intelligence, our officers arrested a one Seidi Deo aged 37 years, a resident of Luvuba village Mpingi parish, Muduma sub county Mpigi district and upon interogations, he confessed to having been involved in various cattle thefts and narrated that on the fateful day of December 9, the residents of Busuuju ganged up and burnt their vehicle while they were loading cows,” Onyango said.

The suspect Deo told police that his accomplice identified as Francis Kimera aged 34 years in order to cover up charges went to Jeza police station and reported theft of motor vehicle registration number UBB 891Y.

“The matter was investigated and Kimera together with other criminals agreed to compensate the car owner with Shs 16 million,” he added.

After that, the CI team proceeded to the residence of another man only identified as Ivan and recovered five (05) cows which had been stolen from Busuuju and were awaiting to be slaughtered. The team arrested him immediately and added him on the number of suspects.

Apparently, the eight cows have been handed over to Jeza police station as investigations continue.