By Herbert Ssempogo

THE Police in Kampala yesterday raided a den where stolen fuel, some of it from the Force, was hidden before sale on the black market.

Detectives and officers from the Rapid Response Unit stormed the hideout on Ggaba Road in an afternoon operation that spanned over two hours.

A total of 60 jerrycans and six drums, several containing diesel, were recovered from the grave-like structures. They were covered mattresses.

Francis Yiga, alias Mulaasi, a suspect, was arrested while his accomplices took off as the Police closed-in on the spot located a few meters from the main road.
According to Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba, the operation was a result of a tip-off.

“We got information that vehicles often parked there and the fuel would be siphoned. It would later be sold to other motorists,” Nabakooba, who was among the officers who searched the place, said.

“Residents told us that Police vehicles were among those from which fuel was routinely siphoned.”

She added that motorists would refuel their vehicles at the location every morning.

In order to attract clients, Yiga and his accomplices sold the fuel at a lower price compared to other filling stations, Nabakooba said.

She noted that the illegal practice by Police drivers often leads to shortage of fuel in the Force.

The raid, Nabakoba warned, was the beginning of a major crackdown on those selling stolen fuel.

“The hunt for the culprits is on. No one is going to be spared,” she added.

Siphoning fuel, particularly from government vehicles and civil society organisations, is common. Daring men siphon fuel out of trucks as drivers negotiate corners.