Police are stuck with 69 motorcycles that they impounded in the recent operations in the city suburbs to crackdown on theft of boda bodas.
The motorcycles are currently kept at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations at Kibuli in Kampala.
The spokesperson of CID, Mr Charles Twine, said the owners of the motorcycles were identified at Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), but there were no contacts on their logbooks that they can use to reach out to them.
“The chassis number and licence plates of the 69 motorcycles correspond with the details at URA.
However, we need to trace their owners, but we don’t have their contacts,” Mr Twine said on Thursday.
Police impounded 140 motorcycles in in city suburbs of Katwe and Kibuye that sell used motorcycle parts.
Only 28 motorcycles were cleared. One of the impounded motorcycle was found to have been robbed from Peter Ssembuuze, who was killed by the attackers during the robbery, in Mpigi District. The owner of the shop where it was found is to be transferred to Mpigi District to help in the investigation of the murder.
Another motorcycle impounded in a shop belonged to the police and had earlier been reported to have been stolen. Two other impounded motorcycles had been stolen from Bugiri District.
Mr Twine said given the high incidents of criminality in the boda boda industry, they want to establish whether the owners of the 69 motorcycles are victims of crime or not.
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He said if the owners appear, they will be allowed to take them since they were cleared of any criminal cases. “If the owners of the motorcycles fail to claim them, police will auction them in three months’ time,” he said.
Check for number plates in Saturday Monitor
Some 2019 robberies
– In April 2019, police expressed worry over the rampant attacks on passengers and motorcycle riders.
Police spokesperson Fred Enanga said at least 28 incidents in which boda boda riders had been wounded and killed had been registered.
Police said of the 28 motorcycles stolen, only five have been recovered.
– In July 2019 police said 45 boda boda motorcycles had been recovered and five of them returned to the owners.
Authorities had also recovered 55 stolen number plates, 25 motorcycle frames and five engines.
– In August 2019 police said eight people had reportedly been murdered and 58 motorcycles stolen in a span of six months following a new wave of attacks targeting motorcycle riders in Lira and Dokolo districts.
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