The police in Kisoro District on Saturday arrested 25 Rwandans and three Ugandans for conducting illegal mining activities at Wolfram Kirwa mines in Kabaya Village, Nyarubuye Sub County, Kigezi region police spokesperson, Mr Elly Maate said on Sunday.
The Rwandan suspects reportedly illegally entered the country through porous entry points to access the government facility. The arrest followed an intelligence report.
Mr Maate said, “At the beginning of this year, there were reports from local authorities that suspected Rwandan nationals were illegally mining Wolfram at Kirwa Mines in Kisoro district.’’
Adding that; ‘’On May 2nd, the police in Kisoro carried out an intelligence-led operation where 25 out of 28 illegal miners arrested were Rwandans.’’
He disclosed that about 30 kilograms of Wolfram mineral were recovered from the suspects.
Charges of illegal mining and staying in Uganda without valid travel permits have been preferred against the suspects,” Mr Maate said.
In another security operation, Mr Maate said six suspected habitual criminals were arrested in Rubanda district, while one person was arrested on the allegation of murdering a two-and-a-half-year-old baby in Kanungu district.
“In an intelligence-led disruptive night operation in Rubanda Town Council, Rubanda district, 6 suspects that have been on a security watch list were arrested on Sunday. ”
It followed emerging reports of aggravated robberies by thugs armed with machetes, knives, and stones that waylay night travellers and rob them of their valuables. They are currently detained at Rubanda district central police station pending further investigations,” Mr Maate added.
Murder
In a different operation, a 26-year-old woman, a resident of Kameme Village, Kihihi Sub County in Kanungu District, was arrested on Saturday on allegations of killing her two-and-a-half-year-old stepdaughter, with whom she was staying.
“A man left her wife in Rukungiri district and went to Kameme Village in Kanungu for casual work, where he cohabited with the suspect for about six months and two weeks. The man brought the deceased, and they started staying together with the stepmother,’’ police said.
He explained that on May 1st, the stepmother badly assaulted the baby and was rushed to Kihihi Health Centre IV, where she was pronounced dead on May 2nd.
