Street gang members, bar owners arrested in a crackdown in Gulu

 Gulu, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT  | Gulu police have arrested dozens of street gang members and bar owners for flouting the Standard Operating Procedures-SOPs put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19. The operations carried conducted on Saturday and Sunday night saw the arrest of 15 managers, their staff and owners of bars, pubs and other hangouts.     

The suspects were found operating illegally and beyond the night-time curfew of 9 pm. Jimmy Patrick Okema, the Aswa River Region Police Spokesperson told URN in an interview that the suspects were picked up from hangouts within Gulu City such as Buganda Pub, Password, Indoors and Northern Pearl. 

He says the suspects face charges of engaging in a negligent act likely to cause the spread of infectious disease contrary to Section 171 of the Penal Code Act. The other suspects were arrest during an operation in Aywee in Laroo –Pece Division and Olayilong in Bardege Layibi Division in Gulu City targeting gang members.   

According to Okema, the suspects include a renowned gang leader only identified as Oola, who is wanted for various offences.

Okema says that a lot of people are violating the SOPs; something he says is putting the lives of many at risk of contracting COVID-19.     

********

URN