Police in Kampala Metropolitan South have arrested four suspects and recovered several motorcycles believed to have been stolen as part of an intelligence-led operation targeting a network involved in motorcycle theft, dismantling and resale.
The operation, conducted by officers from Katwe Police Division in coordination with Crime Intelligence teams, follows information about a suspected stolen Bajaj Boxer motorcycle and has led investigators to suspects in Kampala and Rakai District.
According to Kampala Metropolitan Police Deputy Public Relations Officer, ASP Luke Owoyesigyire, the investigations began after police received intelligence concerning a Bajaj Boxer motorcycle, registration number UMA 2244MX, suspected to have been stolen.
The motorcycle was recovered from Banturaki Purtaz, a resident of Wankulukuku Zone in Kabowa Parish, Rubaga Division.
Police said Banturaki was subsequently interrogated, during which he allegedly disclosed information about two other motorcycles he had previously stolen.
One of the motorcycles, a Bajaj Boxer registration number UFH 005Y, was allegedly stolen from Nkumba before being sold to two suspects identified as Lukyamuzi Muminu and Abasi Mwesezi in Rakai District.
The second motorcycle, a Bajaj Boxer bearing registration number UEQ, was allegedly stolen from Kigungu in Entebbe and sold to a suspect identified only as Mike, who is believed to be in Wansaso Zone.
Police recover motorcycle with number plate removed
Acting on the intelligence provided, police mounted an operation in Wansaso Zone and recovered the UEQ motorcycle.
However, investigators found that its number plate had been removed, raising further questions about how the motorcycle was being concealed and disposed of after the alleged theft.
Two suspects, Senyange Derric and Kagwa Ian, were arrested during the operation. Police allege that the two received the suspected stolen motorcycle and subsequently took it to the suspected promoter.
Their arrests have provided investigators with additional leads as they attempt to establish the full chain through which stolen motorcycles are allegedly transferred, dismantled and sold.
Police later extended the operation to Rakai District.
On September 2, 2026, a team of Crime Intelligence officers travelled to Rakai, where they arrested Lukyamuzi Muminu, one of the suspects named during the earlier interrogation.
According to Owoyesigyire, Muminu admitted during interrogation that he had purchased the UFH 005Y motorcycle for Shs500,000.
Police said Muminu further disclosed that he and his alleged accomplice, Abasi Mwesezi, dismantled the motorcycle and sold it off as spare parts.
The revelation has heightened police interest in the alleged network, particularly the possibility that stolen motorcycles are being deliberately dismantled to make it difficult for law enforcement officers to trace and recover them.
Police recover number plate and another motorcycle
During the operation in Rakai, investigators also recovered the motorcycle’s number plate, UFH 005Y, which had reportedly been hidden at the suspect’s ancestral home.
Police also recovered another Bajaj Boxer motorcycle, registration number UDM 669Z, as investigations into the suspects and their alleged activities continued.
The recovery of the motorcycles and number plates is expected to help detectives establish ownership and determine whether the recovered items are linked to other reported cases of motorcycle theft.
Motorcycle theft has remained a major concern in parts of the Kampala metropolitan area and other parts of Uganda, with stolen motorcycles potentially being resold, transferred to distant locations or dismantled for spare parts.
Police say intelligence-led operations are being used to identify not only individuals allegedly stealing motorcycles but also those who receive, conceal, dismantle and dispose of them.
More suspects being hunted
Owoyesigyire said investigations are still ongoing, with police pursuing other suspects who remain at large.
Detectives are also working to recover additional motorcycles believed to have been stolen and establish the wider network allegedly involved in the theft and disposal of motorcycles.
The investigation is expected to focus on the alleged links between motorcycle thieves, receivers, dismantlers and buyers of spare parts.
Police have urged members of the public with information about stolen motorcycles or individuals suspected of dealing in stolen motorcycles to share the information with law enforcement authorities.
The four suspects currently in custody are expected to face further legal proceedings as investigations continue.
Owoyesigyire said the ongoing operation is aimed at dismantling the broader criminal network rather than simply arresting individual motorcycle thieves.
The police spokesman stressed that the investigations would continue until all persons involved in the alleged theft, receiving, dismantling and disposal of the motorcycles are identified and brought to justice.
