Police at Katosi Landing Site is holding a suspect on suspicion of stealing a motorboat engine on Tuesday night.
The area police got a tipoff call from someone who said they saw a group of people carrying a boat engine into a motor vehicle from Cape landing site. The engine was identified as a 15 sport horse power valued at 8 million Ugandan Shillings.
According to the OC Katosi Police ASP. Mugabe Mike, on chasing after the thieves, bad luck befell them when the vehicle used to transport the engine ran out of fuel. Two occupants took off leaving one who got stuck while opening the co-drivers door to escape from the police. On searching the vehicle a number of items that include bolt cutters and a bag of tools which are suspected to be used in unscrewing of the motor boat engines were found. It’s confirmed that the motor boat engine has been recovered together with the vehicle (UAG 236E) used in transporting the stolen item.
The suspect who has been identified as Ssali Paul willed the engine from his father and began renting it out per month. He then planned and stole it back from the man he had rented it to. When asked, he said that he wanted to get a double profit from the engine.
Usually, when these types of items are stolen, they either have been ordered for or already have a clientele which would buy the said engines. “The market is good out there”, said ASP Mugabe Mike (OC Katosi Police Station).
Boats and engines are oftenly stolen and sold at landing sites in Entebbe and Kalangala. He however said that several recoveries have been made recently which has been a continuous effort through community policing and proper information sharing among the residents. The OC vowed to tackle crimes at the landing site with an iron hand as we head into the Christmas Festive Season.
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