The Flying Squad Unit has arrested five suspected car robbers. The police say that the suspects are linked to the theft of 13 cars and mainly operate in Old Kampala.
The Deputy Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire on Thursday exhibited the six recovered vehicles. They include a Toyota Surf UAQ 251P which was stolen from Parliament Avenue at the beginning of the year and recovered from E-Bright in Lugala.
Another car, a Toyota Hiace UBB 406T was recovered hidden in a parking lot in Nakulabye, a Super custom UAJ 086J stolen from King Fahad Plaza was recovered from Kosovo Mapeera church.
Police exhibited the cars at Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) headquarters in Kibuli where many of them had changed spare parts, number plates, and others had already been tinted so that they cannot easily be identified.
Out of the five exhibited cars, it was only a Toyota Noah UAP 796A which was stolen from William Street a fortnight ago and was hidden inside John Parking Yard, in Nakawuka in Wakiso district.
The Flying Squad also recovered two numberless cars which are now parked at CID headquarters in Kibuli. An operative who took part in the arrest of the suspects said they were going to use the chassis number to search for owners from the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).
“During investigations, we have established that the recovered vehicles were stolen from Kampala Metropolitan Area and later driven by criminals to public parking in Lugala, Kosovo, Nakulabye, and Nakawuka. The suspects later sell the stolen vehicles in whole or dismantle them and sell their parts,” Owoyesigyire said.
At least five to seven vehicles are being stolen every day according to Flying Squad. Police say the thugs trail owners using motorcycles. Police have also resolved to apprehend buyers of stolen cars and spare parts dealers who are fueling the crime.