Police have said they have arrested at least 700 suspects in the last seven days in operations carried out in various parts of the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.
Spokesperson, Kituuma Rusoke told journalists on Monday that the operations carried out between February 16 and 22 were intelligence led and conducted by both police and other sister security agencies.
“The operations targeted burglary, robbery, narcotics, street mugging and related crimes. We arrested over 700 suspects as we targeted known blackspots, hideouts and narcotic hubs,”Rusoke said, adding that countrywide, the number of suspects arrested has reached 1905.
He noted that during the operations, several narcotics were recovered as well as stolen items and other exhibits.
Rusoke said in Kampala Metropolitan East, at least 254 suspects were arrested, while 510 were apprehended in Kampala Metropolitan South among others in other regions.
Kampala has in recent months experienced a mix of high‑profile thefts, mugging and gang‑related attacks, particularly in crowded transport hubs and commercial zones.
Police have acknowledged an uptick in robberies and violent snatching cases, attributing some of the rise to the release of bail‑granted offenders and challenges in policing densely populated urban areas.
Security agencies have responded with crackdowns across crime “black spots”, arresting scores of suspects in operations targeting gangs, habitual offenders and drug‑linked criminal activity.
Speaking on Monday, the police spokesperson admitted that many of the suspects are repeat -offenders , many of whom have either served their sentences or released on bail by courts of law.
He however, said the intelligence-led operations will continue.
“The main goal of these operations is to disrupt gangs, prevent crime and secure communities. We commit to sustain these intelligence-led operations working with communities,” Rusoke said.
