{UAH} Why most dead bodies in Mukono-Naggalama border swamp are txi drivers/owners

Police reveal new tricks used by car thieves

Written by Zurah Nakabugo

 Last Updated: 24 June 2015

 

Some of the recovered vehicles at CPS

Car thieves have switched to new tricks, targeting passenger service vehicles (taxis) and 'special hire' cabs, police have said.

Since the start of 2014, according to police, they have arrested 13 people and recovered 37 cars out of 100 that were reported to have been stolen using the new methods.

The deputy commandant of the Flying Squad, Herbert Muhangi, told The Observer that the thieves sometimes resort to violence, killing the car drivers/owners and dumping their bodies in swamps and forests near Kampala such as the Mukono-Naggalama border swamp.

"Three bodies of taxi drivers were recovered in this swamp," he said, adding that since the start of the year, several taxi drivers around the country have been killed by thieves using the new tactics.

SUSPECTS NETTED

Muhangi added that due to the spike in cases of stolen vehicles and murder of taxi drivers in the country, they launched two operations last month and managed to recover 23 vehicles from the east and 14 from western Uganda.

"We have so far arrested 13 suspects who have been kidnapping and killing drivers and steal their vehicles after. They are detained at the Central police station (CPS) in Kampala, as inquiries go on. We have also recovered 37 vehicles out of over 100 stolen vehicles this year," Muhangi said on June 15.

Among the 13 suspects at CPS is Alex Serwanga alias Pastor Kawere, 36, the ringleader, who is an information technology (IT) expert. Others include John Mukwane, an engineer in oil and gas and Brian Komakech, a mechanical engineer. Kawere, Mukwane and Komaketch studied at the Eldoret Polytechnic College, Kenya.

The rest are Michael Masinde, Barrack Yiga, Ronald Kaliisa, Ibrahim Asiimwe, Daniel Kato, Moses Opanye, Michael Mulumba, Julius Okongo, Fred Serunjogi alias Geoffrey and Tadeo Balimunsi alias Gen Kwa.

Police officers inspecting some of the stolen vehicles at CPS

Police said Kawere was once arrested in Spain, where he worked, for attempting to crack into a bank's security system. He was later deported to Rwanda and detained. After serving his sentence in Rwanda, he crossed to Uganda and formed a gang specialising in stealing vehicles.

Muhangi said the suspects face charges of murder and aggravated robbery.

"Our operation is still on and we call upon people who have lost their vehicles to check with police. If others have some information on how to recover stolen vehicles, please inform us at the nearest police station. We shall protect your identity," he said.

HOW THUGS WORK

Police Flying squad sources say some thugs often hire vehicles very expensively for burials, weddings or to pick children from school but disappear with them.

Others intentionally ram into targeted cars, causing minor bumps. When the driver gets out to assess the damage, the thugs pounce. They kidnap them and steal the vehicle.

Muhangi said when the thugs lure drivers by hiring their vehicles for burials or weddings, they give the impression of being rich by buying expensive meals before the journey, and drinks such as wines. They even set up women dressed in mini-skirts for the drivers.

The thugs then confuse the driver using various diversionary tactics to steal the car. But police said that if a driver is clever enough to beat all their traps, the suspects then become violent, take him to a hired house and kill him. One such house, which police discovered, is in Kajjansi, on Entebbe road.

Muhangi advised drivers to report incidents where they suspect that they are being trailed, and to always get the full details and addresses of people hiring their vehicles to make it easy for police investigations and arrests.

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Gwokto La'Kitgum

"Even a small dog can piss on a tall Building", Jim Hightower

Le Montréal d'amour d'I

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