Police in Kampala Metropolitan Area are holding two prime suspects behind the theft of 16 motor vehicles and duplication of number plates.
Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga says the suspects were arrested following an intelligence-led operation involving the Directorate of Crime, Crime Intelligence, and Police in two districts of Mukono and Mbale.
The suspects arrested include; Musisi Alex alias Mark Butyampa, a resident of Bulijjo village, Kiyunga Parish, Kyampisi sub-county in Mukono district, Kisule Juma alias Jajja Mbale from Mbale.
The duo is believed to be part of a bigger racket of criminals involved in the theft of cars from parking areas, places of worship, bars, and clubs among other places.
Enanga says the joint security organs conducted the operation following a robbery incident in Wobulenzi, in which a local businessman identified as Nsubuga Mukwaya Hassan reported a missing car registration number UAP 778G.
He says the joint security task team started its operations on July 05, 2022, from Nkonge in Mukono and a suspected stolen motor vehicle was recovered from Wobulenzi with a forged number plate UAM933G after the original number plate was removed.
Enanga says the security operation first led them to the residence of Musisi in Mukono district. Musisi confessed to working with Kisule whose job is to clone the number plates of stolen vehicles.
He says the operation was later expanded to Mbale with the help of the two suspects and led to the recovery of 16 motor vehicles suspected stolen from different parts of the country.
“They change the original plates with cloned number plates (a process they call baptizing) and sell them to Kisule Juma alias Jajja Mbale alias Muwada Juma alias Walusimbi Juma alias Wambedde.
The group reportedly forms part of a wider racket behind motor vehicle thefts in Kampala, Mukono, Luwero, and other parts of the country.
