The Uganda Police Force has established a new form of robbery by a gang that uses bodabodas in collaboration with those using private vehicles to monitor, trail, and steal money from people with saloon cars, especially those who have just withdrawn money from the banks.
According to police spokesperson Fred Enanga, these thugs on motorcycles stage at the banks to monitor people withdrawing money and later contact their colleagues in saloon cars to trail and later break into vehicles and steal money and other valuables.
Enanga disclosed that the CCTV Command Centre in coordination with the Territorial Police at Kira division, have in custody, a boda boda rider of motorcycle registration number UFG 326 Z, identified as Mawazi Jimmy after he was captured at various CCTV zones, actively surveilling unsuspecting clients from banks, up to the stage where they park their vehicles, to either go shopping or make stopovers, for lunch or drinks, etc.
“The suspect would constantly alert his accomplices with vehicle intrusion devices in a motor vehicle, who would immediately come into contact with the targeted vehicle, break-in, and rob the cash and other valuables. The suspects were using two vehicles, a Toyota spacio and Toyota wish to rob their targets,” said Enanga.
In the matter under inquiry, Enanga said the suspects trailed a female victim from KCB bank, at Lugogo Shopping Mall, till she made a stopover at a supermarket in Sonde.
“As soon as she entered the supermarket, her motor vehicle was broken into and cash totaling Shs50m robbed. More than 20 similar reports of car break-ins, have been reported within the KMP area, where the suspects’ car is parked next to the targeted car,” he said.
He explained that the gang also uses new technology to break in.
“The perpetrators use electronic devices, typically used by mechanics to reprogram the factory settings and also disconnect the alarms, from below the dashboard. This enables them to strip the vehicle, of its spare parts and electronic gadgets,” he said.
Below is the CCTV Footage;
