Thirteen youths aged between 18 and 25 are being detained at Iganga Central Police Station over their alleged involvement in a range of criminal activities, including fraud, house break-ins, circulation of counterfeit currency, theft and the illegal sale of narcotics. The suspects comprise three female youths and 10 males, suspected of operating in Iganga District and neighbouring areas.
According to allegations, the suspects would randomly select telephone numbers and call unsuspecting members of the public, posing as representatives of job agencies purportedly linked to corporate companies. They would then promise employment opportunities before defrauding their targets of service fees ranging from 50,000 to 200,000 Shillings.
The suspects are also accused of being part of a wider network involved in circulating counterfeit US dollars. They allegedly target newly employed young people, particularly those working in the informal sector, persuading them to exchange their modest salaries for dollars.
In other alleged schemes, the suspects reportedly lure young women into romantic relationships before stealing their mobile phones and other valuables. They are further accused of selling illicit drugs in small quantities to school-going children and other individuals suspected of struggling with drug addiction.
Police also suspect the group of orchestrating house break-ins, during which various household items, including electronic appliances, clothing and utensils, are stolen.
Their arrest followed complaints from members of the public who raised concern about a group of young people living together in a single room and seemingly enjoying a luxurious lifestyle despite having no known sources of employment. Acting on the information, police first raided a suspected hideout in Iganga’s central business district before proceeding to another location in the area’s ghetto neighbourhood.
During the operations, police recovered 32 mobile phones, comprising 27 smartphones and five basic handsets, an undisclosed quantity of counterfeit US dollars, an unspecified number of SIM cards, suspected narcotics, housebreaking implements, flat-screen television sets and national identity cards suspected to have been stolen. The suspects have denied the allegations against them.
The male suspects have rejected the accusations, while the three female suspects have distanced themselves from the alleged criminal activities, claiming they were at the scene as girlfriends of the male suspects and not as accomplices in the alleged offences.
However, Busoga East Police spokesperson Michael Kasadha said detectives had been deployed to investigate the matter further and work with grassroots intelligence teams to identify and arrest other individuals suspected of involvement in the criminal activities.
Kasadha said the suspects were believed to be part of wider youth-led criminal networks involved in stealing from members of the public, adding that efforts to dismantle such gangs were ongoing.
He said all the recovered exhibits remained in police custody and urged individuals with proof of ownership to come forward and claim their property, which would be returned to them after verification.
Kasadha also commended members of the public for providing intelligence that helped security personnel track down and arrest the suspects. He emphasised that fighting crime was a collective responsibility, urging residents to report suspicious activities in their neighbourhoods to enable security agencies to respond promptly and prevent criminal acts-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
