Flying Squad arrests two suspected masterminds of kidnaps, car robberies

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Two suspected masterminds of several kidnaps and vehicle robberies especially in Western Uganda have been arrested by the Police Flying Squad. Charles Twine, the spokesperson of the Criminal Investigations Directorate-CID has identified the suspects as Denis Tukundane alias Kenneth and Kato Daniel, a businessman from Kamwenge district.

The suspects were picked up from Ibanda and Kamwenge districts and are currently in custody at Ibanda police station waiting to be transferred to Kampala for interrogations. Twine says teams of officers from the Flying Squad were dispatched to Ibanda and Kamwenge districts following two cases of kidnaps that involved paying ransoms last year.

On November 23, 2020, the suspects allegedly kidnapped 13-year-old Peter Mugabi, a son to Robert Mugabi in Kyarukobwa cell in Kagongo division in Ibanda municipality. His family reported a case of kidnap at Ibanda police station vide CRB 781/2020. The minor was reportedly kidnapped by Denis Tukundane alias Kenneth Bwenge who went to their home pretending to be searching for a house to rent. He forced the teenager’s parents to pay a ransom of Shillings 5 million for his release.

Another child belonging to Mujuni Tinka in Kamwenge was also kidnapped on March 22, 2021. The kidnappers lured the child to board a motorcycle belonging to Tukundane purportedly to deliver him to his mother. The family also paid a ransom of Shillings 3.5 million to get their child back. According to Twine, during a hunt for the kidnappers, officers discovered that the suspect had used the same number to demand ransom from the parents of their victims.

However, the phone number was registered in the name of a 70-year old woman in Kabwohe– Sheema district. According to Twine, the officers arrested three employees of Airtel in Kabwohe. However, it was later established that Caroline Kyobutungi was behind the registration of the number that was being used by the kidnappers to ask for ransom.

Twine explains that police also established Kyobutungi used to be a girlfriend to Tukundane. She later confessed and led them to the suspect leading to his arrest on March 28th, 2021. During interrogations, Tukundane confessed to several other kidnaps and implicated businessman, Daniel Kato in Kamwenge.

According to police, apart from staging kidnaps, the suspects have also been involved in other crimes including vehicle robberies in Uganda and Tanzania.

According to the crime report of 2019, 159 cases of kidnap were reported throughout the country compared to 184 cases reported in 2018. 185 persons were registered as victims of kidnap. 13 of the victims were killed. In 2019, kidnappers demanded ransom totaling Shillings 414 million.

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