Crime Intelligence Hunting for 11 Cash Robbers

The Directorate of Crime Intelligence (DCI) is currently hunting for 11 suspects who are part of the ride-along motorcycle gang that has robbed close to a billion shillings from unsuspecting members of the public in the last six months.

Reliable sources have said the eleven suspects were part of the 14 men identified as suspects that have orchestrated several broad-day robberies targeting people taking money for banking or those who have just withdrawn it.

Security sources said the 14 suspects’ list was developed after reviewing several Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera clips which captured the thugs mostly moving on three to six motorcycles forcefully grabbing bags containing money from their victims during traffic congestion.

According to security, three of the 14 suspects were part of the six people who were shot to death at Acacia Avenue, Mawanda Road junction and Kasasiro Road 28 days ago. “I can say that more than 10 CCTV cameras captured these thugs’ movements and all these videos were retrieved and reviewed by a team of experts. Images of 14 suspects were identified and three of them were killed last month. We are now looking for 11 who are still in hiding,” a security source said.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kituuama Rusoke, the Police Spokesperson, identified the six suspects killed in joint security operations as Hamis Mohamed, Sharif Lukwago, Michael Ssebakka, Fahad Katongole, Innocent Tuyishabe aka Adam, and Zake Maniriho also known as Daddy Easy.

However, security agencies which conducted operations; Defence Intelligence and Security (DIS) formerly Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) and Flying Squad Unit (FSU) under DCI have since discovered that Ssebakka, Tuyishabe and Maniriho did not criminal records at any police station or in any civil court.

“We have noticed that only three were part of the 14 suspects that were wanted for these robbery activities. The others did not have any crime records and were not on the wanted list. Maybe they were probably hired by the thugs to transport them or they were just enticed on that very day,” the source said.

Efforts to have military and police personnel who carried out the operations to explain what prompted what many have termed as extra-judicial killings have since hit a snag. This is because no security agencies has revealed which of its officers did what during the operation.

Luke Owoyesigyire, the Deputy Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson, has urged the public to utilize police or private companies when transporting huge amounts of money. “We urge members to move with security when taking money. We have our officers searching for these thugs moving on motorcycles robbing people but we urge people to have security when transporting money,” Owoyesigyire said.

Owoyesigyire did not reveal the exact of suspects being hunted by DCI and other security agencies. He did not also give updates on whether any police officers have been interrogated for the six people at Acacia, Mawanda road junction and Kasasiro road. 

The last person to be robbed in broad daylight was Robert Tibamanya whose 100 million shillings was robbed by thugs on three motorcycles at Maganjo, in Kawempe division. Tibamanya had just withdrawn the money from the Centenary Bank branch in Kawempe. 

The biggest amount of money robbed by the ride-along thugs was in Nakawa where more than 400 million was taken from an investor at 2 pm.