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Buliisa, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Police in Buliisa are holding three suspects on allegations of stealing fuel from China Chongqing International Construction Company Limited-CICO. CICO is undertaking the tarmacking of Hoima-Butiaba-Wanseko road.
The suspects have been identified as Abudallah Mansur, Swalleh Adam and Rasul Maliamungu, all residents of Arua district. The trio was traveling in a vehicle registration number UAY 709B, Isuzu box body. They were arrested on Sunday evening at around 6 pm within Buliisa town.
Julius Hakiza, the Albertine region police spokesperson says the trio who were disguised transporters of fish to Arua district were later found with 44 jerrycans of suspected stolen fuel. The 44 jerrycans were recovered from their box body vehicle.
Hakiza says police received intelligence led information that the trio had connived with some truck drivers belonging to CICO and siphoned fuel from their trucks.
Police immediately swung into action and mounted a roadblock intercepting the vehicle. Upon checking, police recovered the suspected stolen fuel from their vehicle.
They were immediately arrested and conveyed to Buliisa central police station where they are currently being detained. Police also impounded their vehicle that is also parked at Buliisa central police station.
According to Hakiza, once police investigations are through, the suspects will be produced before court to be charged with theft.
Theft of fuel on major road construction projects and other critical projects in the Albertine graben is rampant. On October 4, 2020, Muhammad Mutazindwa was shot dead by Uganda Peoples Defense Forces-UPDF soldiers attached to the Marine Brigade who were guarding road construction equipment in Buliisa district.
The deceased was siphoning fuel from trucks belonging to China Chongqing International Construction Company Limited-CICO together with three others still at large.
The soldiers who acted on a tip-off that the deceased and his accomplices were siphoning fuel from the company trucks shot Mutazindwa after he attempted to flee as he was caught red-handed siphoning fuel.
On April 13, 2021, police in Buliisa arrested three people for allegedly stealing fuel from trucks belonging to China Chongqing International Construction Company Limited- CICO.
The suspects identified as Charles Katwkwa 35, Jesero Wandera 36 and Abdallah Kusiima 19, were arrested in Buliisa town council after they connived with CICO truck drivers and siphoned fuel from the trucks.
In April 2018, detectives recovered 2,000 litres of diesel that had been stolen from the Hoima International Airport construction site in Kabaale village, Kabaale Parish, Kabaale sub county in Hoima district and arrested nine people for allegedly siphoning fuel from company vehicles.
The suspects were using a pick-up truck to transport the siphoned fuel to Kampala.
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