By Andrew Irumba
Amuru: At least 27 suspected rapists, robbers, pickpockets and robbers have Thursday been arrested by police in an operation conducted by police in Otwee Town Council, Amuru District.
Richard Komakech, the Otwee Town Council LC III Chairperson, said the suspects are members of a notorious criminal gang dubbed Atoo Tini loosely translated as ‘I die Today’.
The suspects were picked up from Tee-Olam Bar around 1:00Am during in a joint operation involving Police and Uganda Peoples Defense Force (UPDF) soldiers.
The suspects include two females and 25 males aged between 18 and 30 years.
Komakech said “The group has terrorized the area for the last six months sending residents into panic. They reportedly beat up girls, rape women, waylay and rob people of their property at night and break into shops at Otwee Trading Centre. Others are accused of drug abuse.”
The Aswa River Region police spokesperson Patrick Jimmy Okema, said “The suspects are being held at Amuru Central Police Station for screening pending investigations.”
He added that that the suspects have been erecting illegal road blocks along Awere-Otwee road, Pabbo-Elegu road and Lakang road to extort money under the guise of being local government staffs, on top of attacking travellers and raping women.
