POLICE has revealed that city socialite and struggling musician Leila Kayonda is among people who owner stolen vehicles from United Kingdom.
The revelation were made by AIGP Hassan Kasingye during an operation to find out stolen vehicles stolen from other countries conducted by Interpol.
“The other three stolen from UK include a BMW with a personalized plate in the names of Leila K belonging to struggling musician Leila Kayonda a girl friend to another city showy SK Mbuga. Other vehicles impounded at Interpol are Audi |UAT 047Q and Range Rover UAR 444A.
As the Interpol in EAPCCO and SARPCCO region curbs transnational trending crimes among the member states, the operation has exposed the under rated theft of vehicles from Uganda with alarming results.
The vice is mainly attributed to border crossing points in the region.
Over 100 stolen vehicles are in DRC a reason as to why AIGP Hassan Kasingye is cited to have called the country the heaven of vehicle robbed from Uganda, at least 20 Isuzu Canter that disappeared from Mbarara are being sighted in the Tanzania and efforts to recover them are ongoing.
According to Interpol Uganda, Uganda returns at least one vehicle to Kenya every month while Rwanda records the least number to car thefts from Uganda as DRC and South Sudan take the lead followed by Kenya and Sudan.
This is due to the strict border cross point at the Rwanda Uganda border as compared to other countries in the region
USALAMA ¡¡¡ target areas during the might operations include seaports, air ports and border points, major roads not forgetting car bonds and depots. Specific crimes which are organized by the transnational criminal gangs are terrorism, human trafficking and smuggling of people, narcotics, motor vehicle thefts, wildlife crimes, theft of copper wires, smuggling of minerals and illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
The intelligence led operation which involved the police, immigration, customs, wildlife authority was conducted in the Kampala metropolitan area, Jinja, and Entebbe airport, border points of Busia, Malaba and Eregu. The districts of Arua, Buikwe, Isingiro,Luwero, Tororo and Nebbi. It was simultaneously planned on May 26 – 27, 2016 and executed on June 29 – 30, 2016.
As a result two victims of trafficking in human beings were rescued and one suspect arrested,55 acre of Cannabis worth US $24,752 were destroyed, this amount of money which is approximately Shs84,156,800 million can build a fully stocked secondary school with a library, laboratory and staff quarters and provide full bursaries.
122 motor vehicles were on Interpol data bases for of which were found to be victims of theft. One which was stolen from Japan is being kept at URA offices since it has some issues with clearance into the country.
While addressing the media on July 7, 2016 at Uganda Interpol headquarter in Kololo, Kasingye said that there is a need to harmonize the laws in the region since possession of a stolen property is a crime and the property is impounded and taken to the initial rightful owner but for a similar incidence in Democratic Republic of Congo will ask for money before giving the property to authority.
Hassan adds that whoever buys a car however cheap it is, should ensure that it is checked and verified by the Interpol, it only requires a cost of Shs62000 which is for the government revenue. “The Interpol personnel can visit where you keep your car in case you cannot bring it to their headquarters. The visits are free of charge” he said.
A terror suspect with multiple identity documents was arrested and investigations are ongoing, meanwhile 7 firearms and 312 rounds of ammunitions were recovered and four suspects arrested.
20 kilograms of ivory, three live tortoises, six grey geese, 12 Ostrich egg shells, leopard skins and assorted animal products were recovered leading to the arrest of six suspects as investigations continue. There is a reduction in the rate of wildlife crime as compared to the previous five years were for instance ivory was usually recovered in tones. Says the director of Interpol police in Uganda.
However the through the I-24 system the Interpol will strive to reduce on the rate of transnational crimes with the help of stakeholders like the Interpol general secretariat, regional bureau of Interpol Nairobi and other cooperating partners who include Regional Center for small arms [RESCA], UNDOC, BKA and ISS
