CRIME WATCH: Buying Stolen Property Is Illegal
Last week, law enforcement officers of Kampala City Council made an operation at Kisekka market and recovered a big number of street lights that had been stolen.
Last week, law enforcement officers of Kampala City Council made an operation at Kisekka market and recovered a big number of street lights that had been stolen. In the same vein, the Police has made several operations on shops that are selling second-had goods, especially electronic equipment such as radios, TVs, video decks etc. Much of this property has been found to have been stolen/robbed from other people. They often end up back on shop shelves and are sold to unsuspecting buyers (or are they?), at give-away prices.
Motorists in Kampala are probably the biggest victims of this recycling of stolen property. Many have had their vehicles stripped and when they go to replace the stolen parts, they end up being sold the very parts stolen from their vehicles.
There are extreme examples, especially at the notorious Kisekka market, when motorists go to replace parts stolen from their vehicles, only to find other parts of their vehicles missing! The thieves then bring it to the attention of the motorist that other parts are missing. They then present the very parts for sale to their owners.
The phenomenon of encouraging theft through providing ready markets is highly visible when it comes to stolen mobile phones. Buyers of second-hand hand-sets tamper with their serial numbers to conceal them from recognition on the network.
There is a ready market for stolen goods in Uganda, especially in Kampala. This encourages the thieves to steal more. The law and its enforcers should put more effort on punishing those who purchase stolen property. People actually ought to know that the law sets tough penalties for those who buy or possess stolen property.
The offence of theft, as established in section 252 of the Penal Code Act, is punishable by a maximum of five years imprisonment on conviction.
However, the offence of receiving or possessing stolen property is punishable by 14 years in prison. Section 298 of the Penal Code Act states: “Any person who receives or retains any property whatsoever, knowing or having reason to believe the same to have been feloniously stolen, taken, extorted, obtained or disposed of, is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for 14 years.â€
Although the thief may steal for survival, the one who encourages him/her to do so by providing the market should be punished more because he/she ought to have arrested the thief on learning that the property he/she was selling was stolen. It is easy to recognise that the property being sold could be stolen.
Stolen items go for far less. It can also be detected by the lack of proof of ownership. No receipts, no agreements.
People should therefore refrain from buying stolen property so as to discourage the thieves. Those who do so should be punished heavily. Those who sell the properties should have their trading licences cancelled on top of criminal prosecution. Those who buy the property for use should be punished too. If the buyers stopped, the thieves would stop too.
Ends
Motorists in Kampala are probably the biggest victims of this recycling of stolen property. Many have had their vehicles stripped and when they go to replace the stolen parts, they end up being sold the very parts stolen from their vehicles.
There are extreme examples, especially at the notorious Kisekka market, when motorists go to replace parts stolen from their vehicles, only to find other parts of their vehicles missing! The thieves then bring it to the attention of the motorist that other parts are missing. They then present the very parts for sale to their owners.
The phenomenon of encouraging theft through providing ready markets is highly visible when it comes to stolen mobile phones. Buyers of second-hand hand-sets tamper with their serial numbers to conceal them from recognition on the network.
There is a ready market for stolen goods in Uganda, especially in Kampala. This encourages the thieves to steal more. The law and its enforcers should put more effort on punishing those who purchase stolen property. People actually ought to know that the law sets tough penalties for those who buy or possess stolen property.
The offence of theft, as established in section 252 of the Penal Code Act, is punishable by a maximum of five years imprisonment on conviction.
However, the offence of receiving or possessing stolen property is punishable by 14 years in prison. Section 298 of the Penal Code Act states: “Any person who receives or retains any property whatsoever, knowing or having reason to believe the same to have been feloniously stolen, taken, extorted, obtained or disposed of, is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for 14 years.â€
Although the thief may steal for survival, the one who encourages him/her to do so by providing the market should be punished more because he/she ought to have arrested the thief on learning that the property he/she was selling was stolen. It is easy to recognise that the property being sold could be stolen.
Stolen items go for far less. It can also be detected by the lack of proof of ownership. No receipts, no agreements.
People should therefore refrain from buying stolen property so as to discourage the thieves. Those who do so should be punished heavily. Those who sell the properties should have their trading licences cancelled on top of criminal prosecution. Those who buy the property for use should be punished too. If the buyers stopped, the thieves would stop too.
Ends