Six men armed with axes were arrested in a security operation in Kawempe suburbs division, Kampala City on Wednesday night.
The Kampala Metropolitan Police (KMP) spokesperson Patrick Onyango said the Intelligence-led operations were conducted in areas of Muganda and Kidokolo zone Ttula ward in Kawempe division.
Police also recovered an assortment of other items including a cache of police and military uniforms used by the gang, who have since been connected to house break-ins late in the night.
Onyango said the operation was conducted after receiving information from a reliable source that some suspects were in possession of suspected government stores to wit Police uniforms and breaking implement Pangas and Axes.
After the arrests, a search was conducted and a number of suspected items were recovered, including army camouflage trousers and opium among other items.
The suspects, who have been identified as Ramathan Ssekandi, Richard Sserugo, Siraj Ssenabulya, Bashir Mwagala, Brain Onen and Samson Mpogoni, are all charged with being in possession of government stores to wit Police Caps, trousers, and breaking implements.
The arrests come at a time when there has been a rise in crime in the Kampala Metropolitan area. In recent months, there have been a number of reports of house break-ins and robberies, often carried out by gangs armed with machetes and axes.
The police have intensified their operations to crack down on these gangs, and the latest arrests are a sign that these efforts are bearing fruit.
However, the police have warned that the public should still be vigilant and take precautions to protect themselves from criminals. They advised residents to install security lights around their homes, to keep their doors and windows locked at night, and to report any suspicious activity to the police immediately.
The police also said that they are working with other security agencies to improve intelligence gathering and to dismantle the criminal networks that are operating in the city.
The arrests of the six men is a significant breakthrough in the fight against crime in Kampala. It is hoped that these arrests will send a message to criminals that they will be brought to justice, and that it will help to deter others from committing crimes.
The police have urged the public to continue to cooperate with them by providing information about any suspicious activity. They have also asked residents to be vigilant and to take steps to protect themselves from criminals.
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