With the help of CCTV cameras, police has busted a criminal gang that operates on boda bodas to target vulnerable victims in Kampala.
In the past, police has been blamed for failure to use CCTV cameras to help solve the increased criminality in the city, especially targeting motorists in traffic jam and pedestrians walking back home in the rush hours.
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In most of the cases, the criminality carried out during broad day.
However, on Friday, May, 13, at around Victoria University at 2pm operators on CCTV cameras were drawn to an incident in which a group of boda boda riders were assaulting an unidentified man who was travelling on a boda boda registration number UEZ 341D.
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The gang was seen later trying to flee the scene with the victim's bag.
"The CPS CCTV monitoring centre communicated immediately to the area OC , ASP Akampurira Isaac, and informed him of the happenings. The area police rushed to the scene and reinforced the counter terrorism officer Constable Benard Wanyire who was guarding at Victoria University," Kampala Metropolitan deputy Police spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire said.
He said these were later joined by other officers on motorcycles and members of the public.
In the resultant melee, one of the suspects who had ran into one of the nearby drainage channels was chased by the counter terrorism officer and later arrested.
The suspect has since been identified as Sula Kavuma, also known as Muzeeyi , 18 and a resident of Nansana.
Consequently, he was transferred to the Central Police Station in Kampala where he was interrogated about the criminality.
It was later revealed that the victim was 31 year old Enock Turyasingura, a technician at Payway's branch at Forest Mall in Lugogo and was travelling back home to Makindye.
Busted
In information that has helped in busting the criminal gang, the 18 year old told interrogators that he had been recruited from Nansana Gganda and that Friday's mission was his first assignment.
This could partly explain as to why he was easily arrested by police during the chase.
"The suspect revealed the victim was trailed from his workplace. They believed he was carrying money from the Payway machine,"Owoyesigyire said.
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According to police, CCTV camera footage was played back and the movements on the day were analysed and it was found out that the victim had been trailed by a group of seven motorcycles.
During the analysis, five of the seven motorcycles involved in the crime were ably identified by the CCTV analysis team.
"CID is in liaison with the CCTV team to identify and corroborate the scientific evidence. Crime intelligence is also coordinating with CID in questioning the suspect in custody to ascertain more facts about this crime but also arrest his accomplices," Owoyesigyire said.
He however recommended that CCTV cameras be installed in several black spots in the city.
With such vigilance of police, especially those CCTV cameras, criminality can be nipped in the bud before it escalates.
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