By In a suspected botched robbery attempt, police shot dead six men believed to have targeted a businessperson who had just withdrawn cash from a bank at Acacia Mall, Kisementi, Kampala City, on January 13.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango confirmed the incident, stating that the operation was intelligence-driven and aimed at preventing the robbery before it occurred.
“This was an intelligence-led operation in Kamwokya following a tip-off about thugs planning to rob a client at Acacia Mall. Our personnel monitored the suspects after the client withdrew the cash. The operation was executed when the suspects moved to strike,” said Senior Superintendent of Police Onyango.
The first suspects were shot near a petrol station at Acacia Mall, while others were intercepted and gunned down a few meters away at a taxi stage and on Mawanda Road.
“Six suspects were neutralized in the operation. We recovered two pangas and motorcycles, which have been exhibited as evidence. These individuals had been on our watchlist for frequent robberies,” Onyango noted.
The identities of the suspects are yet to be confirmed.
Robbery Attempt Details
Police reported that the suspects had planned to ambush a man carrying cash withdrawn from a bank at Acacia Mall. Onyango added that officers intervened just as the suspects were about to carry out the heist.
Despite police accounts, some witnesses alleged the suspects surrendered before being shot.
Rise in Motorcycle-Driven Robberies
Kampala has seen a surge in crimes involving gangs on motorcycles ambushing people transporting cash. This successful police interception marks the first case in five years where suspects were apprehended before executing their crime.
In mid-2023, a gang of 10 motorcyclists attacked a tour operator carrying Shs2.2 million. The victim was beaten and robbed at a busy junction near Parliament in broad daylight.
Recent Robbery Cases
On January 4, businessman Francis Baraka reported being robbed of Shs30.7 million, ATM cards, and identification documents by masked motorcycle riders on Mutabazi Lane after withdrawing the cash from a bank on 6th Street.
In March 2021, four men ambushed Kannankutty Krisnamaham at Kitgum House junction on Jinja Road, robbing him of €100,000 (approximately Shs376.3 million).
In another incident in 2020, suspects riding motorcycles followed two employees of Amal Forex Bureau from a bank and robbed them of Shs380 million after surrounding their vehicle near DTB Equatorial Mall.
The police remain vigilant in combating these crimes and ensuring the safety of citizens transporting cash.
