Police destroy five acres of marijuana in Mpigi, two farmers arrested
Police and crime preventers slash marijuana farms in Mpigi District. Photo by Sadat Mbogo
What you need to know:
- The suspects will be charged with cultivating, possessing marijuana.
MPIGI. Police in Mpigi District have destroyed five acres of marijuana in a five-hour joint operation with crime preventers at Kampiringisa village in Kamengo Sub-county.
ASP Yvonne Kyomuhendo, the officer in charge of Kamengo Police Station who led the team said that they got information about marijuana farms in the area from their crime intelligence department.
“Today (Monday), we have destroyed five acres only but there are other 15 acres in villages like Kajjaga and its neighborhood. We are planning to use prisoners before the end of this week to finish this task. These two suspects that we have got will help our investigators to get other marijuana farmers to see that we reduce the ‘plant-related’ crimes. We shall take them to courts of law for prosecution,” said Ms Kyomuhendo.
According to one of the suspects, they have been selling a basin of dry marijuana leaves at Shs25,000 in the nearby trading centres like Lukaya, Kayabwe, Buwama, Nsangi, Kyengera, Gombe and Kasanje in Mpigi, Kalungu as well as areas of Wakiso District.
“We smuggle marijuana at night and sometimes, during morning hours immediately after sun sets. It is our main source of income,” a suspect who tried to escape but later intercepted by a crime preventer told this reporter while shedding tears.
Ms Kyomuhendo added: “All suspects will be charged with cultivating and possessing marijuana and the dry one shall be set on fire.”
