Flying Squad arrests suspect over theft of USD 90,000

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A five days hunt for a man suspected to have varnished with USD 90,000 (about 317 million Shillings) belonging to businessman David Bigirwa, has come to an end after he was arrested by the newly deployed Flying Squad team.

The man who has since been identified as Emmanuel Tumusiime landed on the money inside a Scania trailer which had been taken to Raider’s washing bay in Nyanama. Tumusiime, a worker at the washing bay who had been tasked to clean the trailer, took advantage of the absence of the owner who had temporarily left the place, to vanish with the money according to the Flying Squad.

Upon return, Bigirwa found the trailer already cleaned but the person who was doing the job had disappeared. Bigirwa notified police in Katwe and the newly retrained members of Flying Squad currently attached to the Directorate of Crime Intelligence were dispatched to hunt for the suspect. Tumusiime had also disapproved with an additional 97.8 million Shillings in Ugandan currency.

Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga, confirmed that the Flying Squad has so far recovered USD 27,700 (about 96.6 million Shillings) together with the 97.8 million Shillings.

“Bigirwa is a businessman dealing in Movit cosmetics. He had taken his vehicle for washing at Raider’s washing bay in Nyanama and one of the boys Emmanuel Tumusiime who was washing the trailer landed on this money to the tune of USD 90,000 meant for purchasing cosmetics. Our Flying Squad managed to trace for him and then recovered the money,” Enanga said.

Flying Squad was reverted to Crime Intelligence headed by Brig Chris Damulira in July last year on the orders of then deputy Inspector General of Police late Maj Gen Paul Lokech. But the IGP Ochola sent them on a refresher course and redeployed them purposely to deal with armed robberies, gun violence and criminal gangs. Tumusiime is expected to appear in court on Wednesday this week.

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