Police nets top women thugs in city operation

Mar 05, 2014

In a bid to rid Kampala city of rampaging street thugs police have netted women who are believed to head notorious crime gangs.

By By Eria Luyimbazi

In a bid to rid Kampala city of rampaging street thugs police have netted women who are believed to head notorious crime gangs.

According to Kampala metropolitan police spokesperson Ibin Ssenkumbi, these women have made a name for themselves in terms of doing reconnaissance for crime gangs in the city and also baiting unsuspecting customers and leading them straight in the hands of their tormentors.

Ssenkumbi said the women who are popularly codenamed 'Cheap Stores' are known to lead unsuspecting customers to shops selling merchandise and pretend they work there. They then ask for money purportedly going to the store to get them merchandise cheaply at wholesale prices.

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TOP THUGS; Annet Namusoke, Mary Nakasujja and Jane Umineza

Usually, in the rush hour under the searing heat, and having travelled from even upcountry, the unsuspecting customers do not think twice and trust these women with money.

Other times the women enter shops posing as customers while in fact they are on reconnaissance missions. They get to know where the traders are keeping money or who they are sending for supplies. These are then tailed by a network of male colleagues who hover around the busy shopping areas and steal from them.

Police named the suspects as Mary Nassozi, Rose Nakandi, Annet Namusoke, Sarah Nalubega and Jane Umineza.

The spokesperson said Umineza was arrested at Kalungi Plaza when she went into a shop posing as a tired shopper and asked to rest for a while as the attendant got her what she wanted.

The keen attendant however raised an alarm when she noticed Umineza was on a mission to steal money. On arrest she was grilled until she named her other accomplices.

Police also netted scores of suspects believed to terrorise city dwellers by trailing them on the streets and grabbing money, valuables and hang bags from them.

Police named their areas of operation including Luwum Street, Ben Kiwanuka, William Street, Burton Street,
Kampala Road, Kikuubo shopping centre, Nakivubo Road and Allen Road, where there is a spot codenamed 'Beirut' known as their staging area.

The Kampala Central Police Station boss C/ASP Moses Nanoka said the notorious areas where these thugs hail from include Katwe - Kinyoro , Kisenyi, Kagugube and Katanga.

The operation this time round has been extended to these areas where scores of suspects were netted in coordination with area authorities.

Among those arrested are serial offenders including Peter Bitalo aka Siraje Kayemba aka Siraje Kakono; Mike Ssentongo aka Magulu, Jackson Byaruhanga, Joseph Lwanga, Anthony Agaba, Siraje Muwonge, Christopher Kanene, Tonny Muyingo, and James Mawejje.
 

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