Police detective pins Chinese suspects

CRIME |

A senior police officer, Maliserino Mulema has told the court that each of the 37 Chinese suspects accused of phone tapping smuggled between 100 and 200 phones from China to Uganda.

He made the remarks on Thursday while pinning the 37 Chinese suspects, accused of several charges including possession of goods suspected to have been smuggled in the country and phone tapping.

Mulema, 36 is a detective Assistant Superintendant of Police (ASP) from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), attached to Kiira Police, Kampala Metropolitan Division East.

Testifying before Buganda Road Court Grade One Magistrate Marion Mangeni, Mulema said that he and other police detectives found 2,373 Redmi mobile phones, all possessed by the accused.

"On arrest and interrogation, all the suspects admitted that they came with these phones from China in quantities ranging from 100-200 each, they also confessed that the said phones were never declared, not cleared by customs and taxes were not paid," Mulema said.

The detective also testified that one of the accused, You Jing Dao owned the residence in which all the accused were arrested from in Lubowa Zone, Kireka in Kampala district.

"Dao is the landlord of all the accused and he's the one who picked some of them from Entebbe Air Port earlier in February as they entered the country," he said.

It was also established that 124 boxes of bombars of sept wolves cigarettes-silver in colour, 55 boxes of semi-wolves cigarettes-yellowish, 20 boxes of haungleou cigarettes-cream in colour, six boxes of ligun cigarettes-reddish and white, all from China were found with the suspects, an act contrary to Ugandan laws.

"All these were not type proved, have tax implications and could be endangering to the environment," Mulema concluded.

Upon cross-examination, the defence lawyer, Julius Mujurizi declined to cross-examine the witness, requesting the court for an adjournment.

"Your worship, we shall cross-examine the witness on the next adjournment if the plea bargain agreements fail," Mujurizi requested court.

It should be noted that earlier this week, the accused opted for a plea bargain but when the case resumed, they had not yet reached an agreement with the state, prompting for hearing of the case.

The accused

The accused include Lin Zhi Long 31, You Jing Dao 50, Xu Zheng Nen 22, Lao Xiao Feng 30, and Guo Wei Zheng 35, Chen Huan Huan 36, Liu Jia Feng 29, Deng Guo Guo 37, Mao Xue Xue 37 and Chen Si Hong 32.

Others include Lin Yi Ming 50, You Jing Dao 50, Li Jia Zhao 28, Lin Shao Sheng 54, Tang Lu 37, Yang Jun 34, Chen Kang 31, Wu Guan Yong 41, Mao Ya Jan 33, Lin Zinchuan 32, Luo Xiao Zhuang 37, Li Ren Zhe 34, and Lu Jin Hang 38, among others.

The charges

Prosecution led by Ivan Kyazze contends that on March 19, 2020 at Kireka Kamuli Road, Lubawo Zone in Kampala, the accused and others still at large, were found in possession of 2,373 Redmi mobile phones made in China under several International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers.

The suspects are also accused of illegally possessing sept wolves, huanghelou, ligun and yuxi cigarettes, all from China and reasonably suspected to have been smuggled into Uganda from China in such large quantities without licence and clearance from customs.

The case was adjourned to July 8, 2020, for the mention, and allows the parties to agree or reach on the plea bargain agreement before returning to court.