Micheal Longole, the Mt. Moroto region police spokesperson said the energized operations are aimed at recovering illegal guns, arresting and prosecuting criminal elements who have been involved in cattle rustling.
The joint security forces have
detained over 800 suspected criminals arrested during a cordon and
search operation against cattle rustlers in Karamoja.
Despite the improvement in security,
the joint forces comprising police and army are engaged in cordon and search
operations in the districts of Kotido, Abim, Moroto, Napak, Amudat, Nakapiripirit,
Nabilatuk, and Karenga.
Micheal Longole, the Mt. Moroto
region police spokesperson said the energized operations are aimed at
recovering illegal guns, arresting and prosecuting criminal elements who have
been involved in cattle rustling.
‘’We rounded up a total of 800
suspects on day one of the operations and the screening is underway with more other
operations going on,’’ Longole said.
Longole revealed that no firearm
was recovered in the operations, but a number of bow and arrows were recovered
when they learnt that they were also used for committing crimes.
He said that suspects arrested are
paraded before the community so as to help the security personnel to identify
the wrong elements during the screening exercise.
According to Longole, those arrested mainly consist of the youth aged between 15 and 28 who are actively participating in armed cattle raids.
//cue in ‘’ we managed to arrest
closed to 800 people’’//
//cue out ‘’ we have criminalized
the use of bow and arrows,"//
Authorities have warned residents
to avoid running away when they see security forces surrounding their village.
The security personnel on Monday shot dead one Karamojong who tried running away during
the cordon and search operation in Nadunget sub county in Moroto district.
Longole appealed to the community
to support the security agencies in keeping Karamoja peaceful and reporting
those suspected to be having illegal guns to security for further action.
He noted that the operations to
crack down on the cattle rustlers will continue, adding they have dominated the
areas suspected to be harboring these criminals.
//cue in ‘’we are discouraging
people from running...//
cue out ‘’ one of the wrong
elements, he was shot dead."//
The joint security forces have been
carrying out a disarmament programme in karamoja since July 2021.
