Jinja police arrest suspected robbers, rapists, kidnappers in Swoop

Jinja, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  Police in Jinja city has paraded 16 youth who are believed to be perpetrators of a variety of crimes including robbery and rape.

Abbey Ngako, the Kiira region police spokesperson said the youthful gangsters are far more dangerous than they look and he described the exhibits so far recovered from their homes which include house breaking tools and narcotics.

Police mounted both foot and motorized patrols in the suburbs of Mafubira, Masese, Mpumudde, Obote Way and Bugembe in the well-coordinated swoop that netted the suspected criminal gang leaders.

The suspects whose main base is in Bugembe ward in Northern division, Jinja city were arrested in an operation on Monday night.

In the gangsters’ base, Police detectives recovered two bayonets, body armor, an unspecified amount of opium and marijuana, several stolen phones, sim cards and other suspected stolen items.

It is alleged that the suspects who normally waylay their unsuspecting victims between 7:00pm and 11:00pm, use bayonets to scare them and whoever attempts to resist is stabbed.

Steven Wante, the Bugembe town council chairperson, says that the police operation was overdue.“We need constant security patrols as most unemployed youth have resorted to terrorizing the community for survival,” Wante says.

Abbey Ngako, the regional police spokesperson says that the suspects have been operating in small groups according to specialty in different crimes. For example ‘Team No Sleep’ steals phones at night whereas ‘Team Spider’ has been specialized in burglary and house breaking.

Ngako further says that they have also arrested four suspects who specialized in raping women and then extorting ransom from their relatives. 

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