Over 20 suspected criminals arrested in Kabale police crackdown

Police in Kabale District Tuesday paraded about 20 suspected criminals arrested in a crackdown targeting lawbreakers believed to have been terrorizing locals.

The operation was intelligence-led with District Police Commander (DPC) Joseph Bakaleke leading charges in the operation coming a day after Uganda Radio Network journalist Samuel Amanya was waylaid and injured by thugs armed with pangas at around mid-midnight.

The Easter Monday attack was outside the newsman’s residence in Bugongi Cell, Kabale Municipality.

Kigezi region police spokesperson Elly Maate said some of the detainees are “hard core criminals that have been listed for several criminal acts including injuring a woman before stealing her valuables worth Shs1.5million.”

Police say they have already preferred charges of aggravated robbery against most of the alleged offenders.

Meanwhile, Maate told Monitor that other suspected criminals were arrested from Kabale main abattoir and Kabale main stadium where they were found taking a nap during daytime but in possession of marijuana, house breaking tools, suspected stolen ATM cards, mobile phones and other electronics equipment which they could not account for.

“These operations will continue to crackdown on the suspected wrong elements within Kabale Municipality and the entire region until sanity is restored. Our people should always report those incidents so that the police and other sister security agencies can plan to arrest the suspected criminals instead of keeping quiet and assuming that the authorities are always aware of these occurrences,” Maate remarked.

But he told journalists they were yet to screen the suspects arrested by Tuesday, promising that those deemed innocent would be freed while others presumed guilt face prosecution.

Meanwhile, the journalist who was injured in the attack said he was not aware of the motive of his tormentors as he called for heightened security.

“I am not sure whether the attackers were executing a deliberate mission to take my life or they were just criminal minded people. I have reported the matter to Kabale police so that they can investigate this criminal act,” Amanya told Monitor.

Police on Tuesday said over 91 people were killed in crime related incidents across Uganda during the Easter season.