Following an extensive investigation by the Directorate of Crime Intelligence and the Nsangi Police, an armed gang of robbers preying on mobile money operators was apprehended.
The automobile used by the six suspects in the crimes was also discovered following their detention. This comes after a video of an armed robbery in Mubende filmed on CCTV went viral on various social media platforms, resulting in the murder of a Kassanda police officer, CPL. Joseph Olaya.
Olaya was part of the team that sought to apprehend the group as they fled the area on motorcycles. The thieves also took a pistol magazine from the dead.
According to Deputy Police Spokesperson CP Polly Namaye, on May 29, 2023, the Flying Squad Unit recovered a police AK-47 rifle that was stolen from a police officer in Nsangi Division. According to investigations, it was used in a number of mobile money thefts.
“We have since established from our analysis, interrogations, and critical examination of the various scenes that the recovered gun was the same one used in different robberies recently by this racket,” stated CP Polly.
According to Police, the officer’s gun was stolen when he dismounted from a boda boda at the Division Headquarters checkpoint in Nsangi. Then, on motorcycles, criminals arrived, took the weapon, and rushed away. Since then, four mobile money incidents have been reported to police, including the attempted murder by shooting of one of the victims who sought to raise an alarm.
CP Polly informed the public that police will apprehend anyone who targets mobile money merchants and advised anyone with information to contact the local police station.