Police has Tuesday revealed that they have recovered the fuel tanker that was robbed at gun point along Jinja highway last week.
“We would like to update the public and all transporters in the fuel industry that the semi trailer tanker, Mercedes Benz, blue in color, under registration number UAU 402E, which was intercepted at Bukoyo Village, along the Iganga-Jinja highway, by a group of 5 armed thugs had been recovered,” reads part of the statement by police spokesperson Fred Enanga.
According to reports this truck was robbed on Saturday, October 21. at around 9pm, and robbed at gun point with 34 tonnes of Kerosene.
“It was recovered from Jinja City, by the territorial police from Kiira region. All the Kerosene, which was being transported from Kenya to Kampala Prompet Energies Ltd, depot was found intact,” Enanga said
Police said that the scene of crime was thoroughly documented, and the trailer with all its goods handed over to the management of Prompet Energies Ltd.
Abdul Nuru, a Somali national based in Kisumu, Kenya, was attacked, dragged out, tied both hands and legs, and bundled into the car boot of a Toyota Wish, the number plates of which were not identified, and dumped in the Kakira sugar plantation.
He was given first aid and his statement recorded at Iganga police station.
The police spokesperson said that efforts are underway to have the suspects who fled from the scene, identified, tracked down, and arrested for their criminal actions.
However, security agencies have noted that this incident demonstrates that goods in transit, including fuel, are still being targeted, particularly at night, necessitating increased vigilance and target hardening measures. The thugs failed in their attempt to break the seal.
Meanwhile, agencies are still hunting for thugs who robbed 8 packets of gold worth 2.5 billion from employees of a gold mine along Kampala-Gulu highway.