Saturday, April 3, 2010

Crime Wave Alert - Uganda

THE Police yesterday warned of a new wave of crime that has hit the city involving people employed by owners of commercial buildings breaking into shops and stealing property.

The Police said such people lock themselves inside commercial buildings and access shops through the ceiling.

Speaking at the weekly Police press briefing at the Kampala Central Police Station, the Kampala deputy Police spokesperson, Henry Kalulu, said incidents like that are now common.

He paraded before the press Salif Lubega, a welder at Cooper Complex, a commercial building, downtown Kampala, whom he said was arrested over the weekend in connection with the vice.

“Lubega on Saturday night locked himself in the office in which he was working and climbed through the ceiling. He broke into two shops and stole phones. Fortunately, when he was jumping out through a hole in the roof, he was arrested,” Kalulu said, adding that four similar break-ins have been reported.

He said two incidents occurred in the same complex about a month ago, and a similar complaint was received from a nearby complex recently.

“In the incidents, there are no signs of padlocks or door locks having been broken but property is missing,” Kalulu said.

He cautioned landlords to be careful, especially when employing people, adding that Lubega will be charged with theft.