Police have rounded up 40 suspected criminals alleged to have been involved in terrorizing Arua city residents. The suspects were arrested during an intelligence-led operation conducted on Monday night.
The operations targeted several areas believed to be the hiding places for the suspected criminal gangs such as Ekarakafe cell, Kirabu cell, Ediofe Trading Centre, Ociba coast, Osu cell, Awindiri cell, and Bamboo village area, all in Arua city.
Josephine Angucia, the Police Spokesperson for the West Nile region explains that the operations which were carried out with the help of community leaders in the affected areas aimed at restoring sanity in the city.
“The purpose of conducting this intelligence-led operation is to clean Arua City of notorious criminals who cause insecurity through thefts, robberies, breakings, burglaries, and other offenses, and it will continue until sanity returns to the City”, Angucia noted.
According to Angucia, the police also managed to recover exhibits such as tools used for cutting and breaking into homes among others. She further emphasized that the suspects who are currently detained at Arua central police station will be brought before the court to face appropriate charges and similar operations are expected to continue.
“At the end of investigations, their casefiles will be forwarded to the Resident State Attorney for perusal and legal advice, and upon sanctioning, they will be arraigned before court for trials”, she added.
Albert Andima, a trader at Arua Central Market in Arua City recounted being attacked by a group of four criminal gangs on Friday night while on his way to his residence in Onduparaka Trading Center in Ayivu division. He commended the crackdown on suspected criminals in the city but added that the police and other security agencies need to intensify their operations against criminal gangs within the City.
Over the past few weeks, offenses like robberies, burglaries, house break-ins, theft, and people being way-laid on the streets during night hours have become common in Arua city despite previous intervention by the security operatives.
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