By Benson Tumusiime
Uganda People’s defense forces (UPDF) army and Uganda police in their covert joint operations have recovered four guns within Gulu Municipality from suspected traffickers in the last two weeks of the operation.
Sources both within the army and police confirmed that the traffickers were netted in Gulu Municipality in operations headed by no-nonsense Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence [CMI] personnel.
They recovered a pistol and three AK-47 assault rifles loaded with undisclosed rounds of ammunition.
The suspects were reportedly trailed from central region while others sneaked into the country from Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.
The police spokesperson, CP Fred Enanga, said the police and their sister security agencies have been conducting operations to get rid of people who invade the municipality.
He said they had got information of people selling and buying guns from the area.
“We had some people who came from Kampala to Gulu to buy guns, the guns are suspected to have been trafficked from DR Congo and South Sudan. We have arrested them and recovered the guns to ensure safety of the town.”
He added; “We don’t know their motives whether they are buying the guns to stage highway robberies or killing people in Kampala. We are, however, continuing with operations to ensure that anyone behind the illegal gun trafficking is apprehended,”Enanga said.
Enanga said the police and other security agencies conducted an operation a month ago in which it rescued children, who were allegedly recruited into subversive activities from Purongo Sub-county in Nwoya District, under the cover of being offered scholarships.
Other Suffering Regions
Information that Spy Uganda obtained from sources indicates that eight children and undisclosed numbers of women were rescued by CMI agents in Kasese District being ferried into DRC to suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) camps.
It is alleged that these people were mobilized through a mosque in Purongo Sub-county.
The police while conducting the community policing last week , asked locals to be vigilant and report to security authorities any suspicious activities or individuals in their area.
This was followed by the arrest of a suspected poacher by locals at Gulu Main Bus park who was found with an AK 47 assault rifle loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition.
