Crime
Assortment of stolen electric gadgets, metals & cable wires, worth Ugx 3bn recovered in Rubaga
Officers from the Directorate of Crime Intelligence in close coordination with the Territorial Units in Kiboga and Old Kampala have recovered an assortment of electric gadgets, metals and cable wires, worth Ugx3bn and arrested 7 suspects during a raid on major metal business locations in Kayiwa Zone, that were dealing in suspected stolen electric gadgets and transmission wires from electric utilities and poles.
Fred Enanga the police spokesperson says the operation followed complaints of vandalism and sabotage on the transmission lines of electricity in Kiboga District.
“Our task teams established that criminals climbed the electricity transmission lines and cut the transmission lines, stole surge arrests, polymeric insulators, reel insulators and other electric gadgets, thus disrupting supply of electricity in Kiboga” the police mouthpiece said.
While addressing the media in Kampala on Monday, Enanga said police intelligence teams tracked down the suspects up to Kayiwa zone in Rubaga and recovered an assortment of electric gadgets, metals and cable wires, worth Ugx3bn.
Among those exhibited are 1460 pieces of 50mm bi-metal clamps, 3480 pieces of reel insulators, 840 pieces of polymeric insulators, 5646 pieces of 60mm PG clamps, 510 surge arresters among others. Over 80 different categories of exhibits were recovered.
Seven suspects including Semaganda Ronald, Matovu Abdul, Musoke Lawrence, Obadiah Matovu, Turyatemba Ashraf, Niwamanya Michael and MuJiri Martin, have been arrested at 10 stores in Kayiwa zone, Rubaga.
Enanga encouraged all businesses that are dealing in scrap metal, to streamline their work methods and deal in genuine transactions. The utility company should also adopt wider measures to counter such thefts like target harden, better wire and equipment protection.
The seven suspects face charges of being in possession of suspected stolen items, malicious damage, theft and related conspiracies.
