The Flying Squad Unit (FSU) and the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) enforcement team successfully recovered a fuel truck that was hijacked at gunpoint in Mayuge district after a seven-day hunt. The truck, loaded with 34,000 liters of diesel, had been seized by unknown armed thugs who forced the driver and his assistant to change their intended route.
The Hijacking and Recovery
On the fateful night of October 23, the hijackers intercepted the truck, bearing the registration number UAT 093W, using a Toyota Wish vehicle. The driver, Douglas Odyek, and his assistant, Emmanuel Okello, were ordered to divert from their route. They were initially en route from Kenya to Fort Portal when the criminals, numbering around five, intercepted them near Wandhago village, Magamaga, along the Iganga-Kampala highway.
Odyek, who had been at the wheel, recounted that they were taken only a short distance off the main road before being directed to disembark. During this terrifying encounter, the hijackers not only took control of the truck but also confiscated the valuable cargo of diesel and the victims’ mobile phones.
The driver and his assistant were later abandoned at an undisclosed location. They sought help from local residents who guided them to Mayuge police, which promptly informed their counterparts in Iganga. The authorities were swiftly alerted, and the recovery operation was initiated by the Flying Squad Unit and URA enforcement team.
The Investigation and Recovery
To track the stolen truck, the police retrieved Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage from various towns along the truck’s route until it disappeared from view. It was determined that the vehicle had not proceeded past Jinja City. Subsequently, the FSU, URA, and major police stations in Busoga began searching all fuel stations and garages in the vicinity.
The truck was eventually located at Mile Mbili in Jinja North Division, but the fuel had already been offloaded. Two suspects were arrested, and they disclosed that the fuel had been unloaded at JAFRA fuel station on Kubiri-Kamuli road. The station manager, Henry Ashaba, and a pump attendant, Anitah Katono, were apprehended. They were believed to be involved in the offloading of the fuel and possibly had knowledge of the crime.
URA and FSU confirmed that 500 liters of diesel had already been sold to unsuspecting drivers. However, the remaining 33,500 liters of diesel were successfully recovered before Ashaba and Katono were taken into custody at Jinja Central Police Station.
Ongoing Investigations and Warnings
Fred Enanga, the police spokesperson, stated that the FSU has arrested additional suspects and is actively pursuing others involved in the hijacking. He cautioned potential criminals against attempting to hijack goods in transit, emphasizing that they would face legal consequences.
Enanga reassured transporters of goods along the Mbale-Iganga-Kampala highway that law enforcement agencies are committed to dismantling criminal gangs that pose a threat to their operations. The arrests of these suspects exemplify their determination to combat criminality within the transport sector.
Efforts to reach URA Spokesperson, Ibrahim Bbosa, for further information were unsuccessful as calls went unanswered. The police, however, expressed concerns about the rising incidents of goods in transit being hijacked and emphasized the need for proactive measures to prevent such criminal activities.
Notably, just two days prior to this successful operation, another fuel truck had been hijacked and subsequently recovered with its cargo intact in Luweero district. However, in the same time frame, unidentified assailants in a Toyota Hiace, commonly known as a Drone, intercepted a Toyota Wish in Luweero, which was carrying eight gold packs valued at 8 billion shillings. Regrettably, the stolen gold has not been recovered, and no suspects have been apprehended; the gold belonged to Arua Refinery Limited.
