12 arrested over gun theft in Kyotera
Oct 02, 2017
Unknown thugs broke into the house of a Police constable attached to Lutti Police post in Kasaali sub-county and took his gun with a full magazine.
Muusa Kayongo, the district Police commander (DPC), confirmed the arrest, saying the suspects are currently being screened.
Unknown thugs broke into the house of a Police constable attached to Lutti Police Post in Kasaali sub-county and took his gun with a full magazine.
Initially, detectives told reporters that the constable had gone to the garden when the thugs raided his home.
Kyotera and its mother district of Rakai have experienced similar gun thefts since 2016.
The district security committees say the thugs later use the guns to terrorise communities. At least several people have been killed and others badly wounded by armed thugs.
Also millions of shillings and property has been lost while few suspects have been arrested and arraigned before courts of law. It is suspected that the thugs usually hide the guns in Tanzania.
In December 2016, thugs attacked Lance Corporal Kassim Okiror at Mutukula border post and took off with his AK-47 rifle.
Okiror, attached to Uganda Revenue Authority enforcement, went into hiding shortly, but Police arrested him after few months later.
Detectives said the same gun was used to terrorise communities in Mutukula, Kyotera and Kalisizo since the bullet shells found at different scenes matched with the gun.
In many of the robbery incidents, the thugs storm big retail and hardware shops, fire at people indiscriminately before they rob them of their hard cash.