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Kampala: Uganda Police last week raided Corner Stone Arcade on Mengo Hill Road in Kampala City and recovered more than 100 television sets and more than a dozen radios suspected to be stolen from different homesteads.
The suspected stolen items were kept in shelves being sold to unsuspected buyers.
Police spokesman Kituuma Rusoke said the recovered electronic appliances were robbed by armed gangs that break into houses and shops at night or when the owners aren’t around during day in different parts of Kampala Metropolitan Area and sold to shops at Cornerstone Plaza in Kampala City.
“A subsequent search on August 16 at Cornerstone led to the recovery of a significant quantity of stolen items, including: 106 TVs, 15 DSTV decoders, 16 woofers, seven speakers, two mobile phones, two play stations, 19 scrap laptops and various tools and accessories,” Assistant Commissioner of Police Rusoke said.
“Additionally, two more suspects were arrested for buying stolen laptops..”
Cornerstone Plaza located at the junction of Kafumbe-Mukasa Road and Mengo Hill Road is locally known as Kukalitunsi. It is a business hub that deals in new and used electronic appliances. It is renowned for having appliances sold at competitive prices.
Breaking-ins in offices and houses around the Kampala Metropolitan Area are high and the criminals target household electronics whose demand is high on the market.
The police wouldn’t have understood the chain of supply of stolen items that ends at the Kalitunsi business hub if the Crime Intelligence Directorate hadn’t investigated a break-in at Zanta Trading Centre on August 3, 2024.
On that day, thugs armed with machetes broke into the house of Patia Nabido robbing her of seven mobile phones, six TVs and even withdrew Shs3.3m from her mobile phones.
Tracking thieves
After reporting the case to the police the next day, crime intelligence operatives traced the stolen phone and arrested a person who had used it. The suspect led the officers to his brother whom he claimed to have got the phone from.
The suspect’s brother also helped the operatives to arrest a man in Bunamwaya, Makindye Ssabagabi, who gave him the phone.
The third suspect was found out to have participated in the breaking-in at Nabido’s home, and revealed his seven accomplices.
According to a source, all his accomplices were arrested and a search in their homes was done where several suspected stolen items were recovered on August 14.
When asked where they sold the other stolen items, they directed the crime intelligence operatives to the shops where they sold stolen appliances at Cornerstone Plaza on Mengo Hill Road.
“We tracked the buyer of stolen items at his apartments in Ntinda, Nakawa Division. We arrested him and he didn’t waste police time. He admitted and insisted that he is just a broker. He said he also sells them to other shop owners. He identified them,” the police source said.
After carrying out verification and profiling the newly identified buyers of stolen electronics, the police raided their shops on August 16.
Six more suspects were arrested and several suspected stolen electronics were recovered.
Mr Kituuma said other two suspects were arrested in Kasangati, Wakiso District.
According to the police, the operation against buyers of the stolen electronics is intended to break the supply chain that has led to an increase in armed robberies and break-ins in Kampala Metropolitan Area.
Many criminals use house breaking equipment and machetes to harm their victims after gaining access in buildings.