WAKISO, Uganda — Police in Nsangi have arrested four suspects following an intelligence-led operation targeting a gang behind a string of phone and bag snatching incidents along the Kampala–Masaka Highway. Several stolen devices were recovered during the crackdown.
The arrests are linked to a series of robberies reported along the highway, particularly within the Busega–Kyengera swamp corridor, an area that has recently become a hotspot for such crimes.
According to Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachael Kawala, the operation followed actionable intelligence pointing to criminal hideouts in the swamp.
The investigation was triggered by a robbery reported on March 17, 2026, at Kyengera Police Station by a businesswoman from Namagoma Kisozi. She told police that her laptop bag had been stolen, containing Shs 5,340,000 in cash, two smartphones valued at Shs 1,300,000, and a National Identity Card.
On March 20, a police task team conducted a targeted operation in the Busega swamp area. The raid led to the arrest of four suspects and the recovery of 20 iPhones and two Tecno phones from a makeshift structure believed to have been used as a gang hideout.
The suspects have been identified as John Muwesi, 33, a resident of Busega; Saka Mbazanyi, 25, from Nateete; Stephen Kabuka, 23, also from Busega; and a 17-year-old male from the same area.
“An intelligence-led operation was conducted targeting identified criminal hideouts within the Busega swamp, leading to the arrest of four suspects and the recovery of multiple stolen devices,” Kawala said.
All suspects are currently in police custody pending prosecution. Authorities say efforts are ongoing to identify and return the recovered devices to their rightful owners, as well as to track down other members of the criminal network still at large.
