The Police Flying Squad Unit (FSU) has successfully dismantled a suspected car robbery ring operating in Masaka, Mukono, and parts of Greater Kampala. Two separate operations in Masaka and Mukono led to the arrest of three notorious car thieves, along with the recovery of two stolen vehicles and multiple license plates believed to be linked to stolen cars.
Faruku Lukyamuzi, 28, one of the suspects, was apprehended during a burial ceremony in Butale village, Masaka, on January 3, 2024. Police officers from Bukoto Police, present to ensure security, observed Lukyamuzi and two others targeting parked vehicles at the event. The swift action of the officers led to the arrest of Lukyamuzi, a land broker from Kyengera town council in Wakiso. Lukyamuzi cooperated with the officers, guiding them to the stolen vehicle, a grey Toyota Premio with registration number UAK 762T, and the tools used for breaking, which were seized. Vehicle number plates were also found concealed beneath the car seats during the search.
At the weekly joint security briefing on January 8, 2024, Police spokesperson Fred Enanga informed reporters that in another incident on January 5, 2024, FSU in Masaka pursued two suspected criminals in a vehicle with a counterfeit license plate (UBM 858N). The chase resulted in the arrest of Edward Ddamulira, a 40-year-old resident of Nateete Kampala, who confessed to using master keys for thefts in crowded locations, hotels, markets, and parked vehicles in Greater Kampala and other cities.
Investigations revealed that Ddamulira and two accomplices were heading to Masaka city, where they had already broken into two vehicles, one in Nabyewanga and another in Lukaya town. The stolen items included clothes and an Infinix mobile phone. The vehicle they used had a fake license plate (UBM 858N) affixed over the genuine plate (UBA 858N).
In Mukono, the Police arrested John Wandera, also known as Katiginyi, caught in the act of selling a suspected stolen white Mitsubishi Canter with registration number UBE 973W. The vehicle was allegedly stolen from Nsangi in Wakiso district. Despite Wandera’s arrest, other accomplices remain at large.
Investigations suggest that the ring sold stolen vehicles to wanted individuals, Siraje in Iganga and Brian of Bwaise. Recovered items include a motor vehicle registration UBB 071U, motorcycle registration UFL 975H, and a Toyota Premio Super with a fake number plate (UAW 025L). Ongoing operations aim to apprehend and dismantle the entire criminal organization and bring the perpetrators to justice in the courts of law.
