Police has kicked investigations into a gang moving on motorcycles carrying out attacks on government vehicles while on the road.
According to Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, the group has carried out several attacks on government vehicles in the past few weeks.
“The criminals are using improvised petrol bombs they hurl in the vehicles and metallic objects to hit on the windscreens,”Onyango said in a statement on Saturday afternoon.
Incidents
The Kampala police mouthpiece cited three incidents in various parts of the city including Katwe, Nateete and Busega where the gang has been cited.
Onyango said that on June 23, 2020, the gang attacked a Ministry of Trade vehicle, registration number, UG 0450T but the occupants survived unhurt.
“In the second incident, the suspects politely asked the driver of motor vehicle registration number UG 0182H to stop for them to cross. When the driver stopped, they pulled out a hammer and hit the windscreen. The criminals were unable to execute their crime and fled after their hammer fell in the car,”Onyango said.
“The third was conducted at Busega-Mityana roundabout when criminals hurled a flammable liquid in the bottle in a government vehicle registration number UG 0199K, a Toyota Fortune on June 26, 2020.”
He noted that in the third incident, the improvised explosive went into flames on the co-driver’s side but the nearby public was able to put out the fire.
Investigations
Police says that they suspect the gang’s mission is to force government reverse some of the health guidelines put in place to prevent the spread of Coronavirus including stopping motorcycles from carrying passengers.
He noted that security has identified three members of the gang using CCTV cameras who have been captured moving on motorcycle registration number UEU 391F and that the pursuit for them has kicked off.
“We are using all the available technology at our disposal to have them arrested and charged with malicious damage to government property and other offences.”
Police asked members of the public with information leading to the arrest of some of the gang members to inform police.
Past incidents
A similar gang early this year targeted several government vehicles with petrol bombs.
The group in March carried out four attacks in which a vehicle parked at Kawempe Police station was burnt, whereas the other attacks including one targeting presidential advisor Kakooza Mutale’s yellow bus and Ministry of Health vehicles were unsuccessful.
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