Illegal gun sales rise in Zombo, Congo
May 20, 2010
ILLEGAL gun sales are rising in Zombo district, which borders the DR Congo, the Police have said.
By Dradenya Amazia
ILLEGAL gun sales are rising in Zombo district, which borders the DR Congo, the Police have said.
The West Nile regional Police spokesperson, Henry Alyang, said it is suspected that the guns are smuggled from the DR Congo.
This followed the arrest of a robbery suspect on his way to Nebbi town on Tuesday.
“We arrested Mateo Kindali at Zeu when he was coming from Paidha at around 5:00pm. He had an SMG rifle number UE 48521998 with six rounds of ammunition,†Alyang said.
The Police mounted a roadblock after a tip-off.
“He had hidden the gun in a jacket,†Alyang said.
He added that Kindali had purchased it from Paidha, which is 1km from the DR Congo border.
The spokesperson explained that Kindali, who has been on the Police wanted list, said he bought the gun from men only identified as Zakaria, a Ugandan, and Busungu, a Congolese national residing in Jopanyondo West village in Paidha town. He told the Police that he had deposited sh260,000 and was left with sh40,000 to complete payment.
“He was among the prisoners who escaped from Arua government prison in 2006 and was being tracked,†Alyang added.
He said Paidha’s proximity to the porous Uganda-Congo border made it a likely destination for illegal guns.
Last year, the Arua resident district commissioner, Maj. Ibrahim Abiriga, said traffickers were selling guns in Arua town. He suspected that the arms were smuggled from Southern Sudan.
At least seven boda-boda cyclists were shot dead and robbed of their motorcycles in Arua town by unknown gunmen recently. In November, thugs stole three guns from Ndirindiri Police post.
Alyang said the Police would work with security organisations to fight arms trafficking in the region.
ILLEGAL gun sales are rising in Zombo district, which borders the DR Congo, the Police have said.
The West Nile regional Police spokesperson, Henry Alyang, said it is suspected that the guns are smuggled from the DR Congo.
This followed the arrest of a robbery suspect on his way to Nebbi town on Tuesday.
“We arrested Mateo Kindali at Zeu when he was coming from Paidha at around 5:00pm. He had an SMG rifle number UE 48521998 with six rounds of ammunition,†Alyang said.
The Police mounted a roadblock after a tip-off.
“He had hidden the gun in a jacket,†Alyang said.
He added that Kindali had purchased it from Paidha, which is 1km from the DR Congo border.
The spokesperson explained that Kindali, who has been on the Police wanted list, said he bought the gun from men only identified as Zakaria, a Ugandan, and Busungu, a Congolese national residing in Jopanyondo West village in Paidha town. He told the Police that he had deposited sh260,000 and was left with sh40,000 to complete payment.
“He was among the prisoners who escaped from Arua government prison in 2006 and was being tracked,†Alyang added.
He said Paidha’s proximity to the porous Uganda-Congo border made it a likely destination for illegal guns.
Last year, the Arua resident district commissioner, Maj. Ibrahim Abiriga, said traffickers were selling guns in Arua town. He suspected that the arms were smuggled from Southern Sudan.
At least seven boda-boda cyclists were shot dead and robbed of their motorcycles in Arua town by unknown gunmen recently. In November, thugs stole three guns from Ndirindiri Police post.
Alyang said the Police would work with security organisations to fight arms trafficking in the region.