Rwandan Armed Robber, 9 Others Arrested in Joint Security Operation

A joint security operation by the Police Flying Squad Unit and the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) have arrested nine suspected armed robbers including a Rwandan national.

The Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga said on Monday that the nine suspects include a Rwandan national identified as Sam Nkrunziza and three security guards identified as David Mawanda aka Seka, Gerald Nsubuga and Ronald Pulusiya.

Enanga said a joint security team had been hunting for the group that conducted robberies in the districts of Ntungamo, Mbarara and Bwebajja on September 10 and 26 respectively before the group was hunted down.

The joint operation resulted in the arrested of six suspects who were found in possession of guns registered in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These include; Nkrunziza, Rodgers Karenzi, Fred Bahati, Brian Mbogo, Nuwagaba Obadia, and August Tumwine.

“We have arrested thugs who have been using guns to rob in Ntungamo. We have been following them up. We have three armed robberies we registered on September 10 and September 26. In a crackdown, we have arrested six and recovered two SMG rifles. One is from DRC and one from here,” said Enanga.

The Rwandan national, according to Enanga, owns a home in Kawempe Division, Kampala although he is said to own another home in South Africa.

According to the police, six out of the nine robbers were using three motorcycles for their missions particularly in areas of Ntungamo and Mbarara.

The remaining three, including Mawanda, Nsubuga, and Pulusiya could disguise as security guards at a fuel station in Bwebajja along Entebbe Road in Wakiso District but engage in robberies at night, according to Enanga who addressed a news conference at the police headquarters in Naguru.

Security forces suspect the fuel station owners and managers could have hired Nsubuga, Pulusiya and Mawanda without knowing their criminal ways.

“We have opened cases of armed robbery. We also recovered three motorcycles they have been using for an easy escape after armed robberies. We have masks they have been using to rob. They would cover their faces,” Enanga said.

Nsubuga, Pulusiya and Mawanda are currently detained at Katwe police station while their counterparts arrested in western Uganda are detained at Mbarara Central Police Station.

Enanga said plans are underway to transfer Nsubuga, Pulusiya and Mawanda to Special Investigations Division - Kireka.