By Ugascience Post
The Joint Security Task Force in Kiira, has in custody four suspects including a retired ICT teacher behind the theft of motor vehicle number plates.
Four suspects including George Ogutti, 62 a retired ICT secondary teacher, Simon Olowo, Alex Macho, and Stephen Mugabe have been arrested for stealing car number plates.
According to ASP James Mubi the Public Relations Officer Kiira Region, the criminal gang has been targeting mainly the Indian business communities of Jinja city, Jinja district, Iganga, Namutumba and Tororo district – Busoga sub region and Eastern corridor generally.
Mubi said after stealing the number plates, these thieves have been asking for money in order to return the stolen plates.
“The criminal gang, after stealing number plates, were asking for money to be sent via mobile money on 0771491993 and 0703932528. We have since established that the above telephone numbers belonged to a one Hussein Kato who died sometime back,” Mubi said.
He however, revealed that they have since tracked down the culprits and arrested the ring leaders. Mubi also disclosed they have searched the premises of the suspects and recovered items including a printer, computer and other documents.
“Through our experts, we tracked down the culprits successfully and arrested the ring leaders of the criminal gang identified as Simon Olowo and Alex Macho, residents of Tororo district as well and a retired ICT secondary teacher called George Ogutti, 62, who has been at the strategic level of planning for the group like drafting 10 year plan for stealing motor vehicle number plates,” Mubi disclosed.
“He has also been behind typing and printing the threatening letters or leaflets that they leave behind after stealing number plates from residential homes, parking places and factories. We have conducted thorough search at the premises of the retired teacher and exhibited laptop, monitor, printer, and documents to that effect.”
In addition, he said they managed to recover two number plates that were being kept by Mugabe, also part of the suspects.
“We manged to recover two number plates from banana plantation along Gabula road in Jinja city. UBE 518B and UBL 287G. The Operation is still ongoing to arrest more culprits and recover more stolen number plates,” Mubi added.