Police in Arua District have arrested four people after recovering 50 rounds of ammunition at Vurra Customs border point as the suspects allegedly attempted to cross into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The suspects were intercepted at about 7:30pm on Friday, October 9, during a joint patrol by police and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), following a tip-off from boda boda riders, according to a police flash report.
One of the riders had reportedly offered the suspects a lift before alerting security personnel, prompting the interception.
Arua District Police Commander, Superintendent of Police Hussein Niwagaba, confirmed the arrest, saying the suspects were being held at Vurra Central Police Station as investigations continued.
Further unconfirmed reports indicate that two of the suspects are believed to be armed robbers and were allegedly found in possession of a pistol. A woman who was travelling with the men was also reportedly arrested.
However, West Nile Police spokesperson Josephine Angucia declined to provide further details, citing the sensitivity of the matter. Angucia said interrogations were ongoing, describing the case as a serious security matter.
The arrests come amid persistent security concerns along Uganda’s borders with the DRC and South Sudan, where numerous porous crossing points pose challenges to efforts to control the movement of illegal firearms, ammunition and other contraband.
Security agencies have repeatedly highlighted the difficulty of monitoring these crossings, which can be exploited by criminals and other unlawful actors to move weapons across borders.
Police have not yet disclosed the identities of the suspects or provided further details about the circumstances surrounding the alleged possession of the ammunition. Investigations are ongoing.