Police in West Nile have recovered nine more suspected stolen and unregistered motorcycles during an intelligence-led operation conducted in Kirabu Area, Arua City Central Division, as part of an ongoing crackdown on motorcycle theft and illegal motorcycle operations in the region.
The operation, conducted on June 20, 2026, follows an earlier raid on June 16 in which police recovered 27 suspected stolen motorcycles from a hotel parking yard linked to the same suspect.
According to police, investigations were launched after a case of motorcycle robbery was registered against the suspect.
The inquiry initially led to the recovery of one stolen motorcycle and several others believed to have been acquired through criminal activities.
West Nile Regional Police spokesperson SSP Josephine Angucia said the latest recovery highlights the force's determination to dismantle criminal networks involved in motorcycle theft.
"Our intelligence teams have continued to pursue leads arising from earlier investigations, and this operation has yielded nine more suspected stolen motorcycles that were being concealed in a parking yard within Arua City," Angucia said.
Police revealed that on June 19, the suspect led investigators to another parking yard located in Kebir Cell, Kenya Ward, along Onduparaka Road, where a motorcycle reported stolen and bearing registration number UGC 425C was recovered.
The following day, a joint team comprising police officers and personnel from the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) conducted a search operation at the same location and recovered nine additional motorcycles without registration numbers.
The operation was briefly disrupted when some residents became hostile and started pelting stones at security personnel conducting the recovery exercise.
"During the recovery exercise, some members of the public became hostile and started stoning officers who were carrying out lawful duties. To restore order and ensure the safety of both officers and members of the public, limited teargas was deployed to disperse the crowd," Angucia explained.
During the confrontation, the windscreen of a police vehicle assigned to transport the recovered motorcycles was damaged.
Police have since opened a case of malicious damage to a motor vehicle under Arua City Central Division Station Diary Reference 19/20/06/2026.
Despite the incident, no injuries were reported and no arrests had been made by press time.
Angucia urged members of the public to cooperate with investigators and avoid obstructing lawful police operations.
"We want to reassure the public that these operations are aimed at recovering stolen property and bringing offenders to justice. We appeal to the community to remain calm, support lawful investigations, and continue providing information that can help us recover more stolen motorcycles," she said.
The recovered motorcycles have been taken to the police parking yard, where they are being held alongside the 27 motorcycles recovered earlier pending verification and further investigations.
Police are now calling on victims of motorcycle theft to report to Arua City Central Division Police Station to assist in identifying and claiming the recovered motorcycles.
"The operation is still ongoing. We encourage all victims of motorcycle theft to come forward and help us establish ownership of the recovered motorcycles. Public cooperation remains critical in our efforts to combat crime in the region," Angucia added.
With the latest recovery, the number of motorcycles recovered during the ongoing operation has risen to 36. Investigations into the suspected motorcycle theft syndicate are continuing.
