Police in Serere district arrest crocodile dealer

By Samson Adongu

A 26-year-old man is in police custody at Serere central police station in eastern Uganda over illegal possession of a crocodile.

Kassim Paul a resident of Kagwese in Pallisa district was arrested on March 24 (Thursday) afternoon as he attempted to transport this reptile from one of the landing sites in Kadungulu sub-county in Serere district.

The dead crocodile was being transported in a taxi registration number UAU 685R which was on its way from Kadungulu sub-county and heading to Pallisa district.

When interviewed at Serere CPS, Kassim admitted that he was transporting the dead crocodile to his mother who has been on his neck over a long period of time that he finds for her a crocodile but he did not disclose the intentions why his mother wanted a crocodile.

Jimmy Anthony Oyuku the DPC Serere has confirmed that Kassim who is in their custody is to be charged with being in possession of illegal game animal and he (Oyuku) further appeals to the entire public to  learn to conserve wild life because it is a foreign income earner to our country.

The police were trying to get in touch with the Uganda Wild Life Authority staff of Mbale regional office such that they can take more measures in relations to the killing of this crocodile.

However, some of the passengers who were in the taxi revealed that this crocodile was bought at a cost of UGX 100,000/= and they suspected it to be a plan for use for witchcraft.