Police in Kampala have kicked off investigations into circumstances under which a Chinese national was attacked and robbed of shs700 million in broad day light.
Hei Wei was robbed on November, 16, 2023 while travelling on a boda boda at around 1pm at Ssezibwa road near Fang Fang restaurant when his motorcycle was intercepted by a group of boda boda riders who grabbed his bag containing $190,000 (about Shs 718 million).
Senior Commissioner of Police, Hadijah Namutebi, the police’s Chief Political Commissar told journalists on Monday that the Chinese had hired a boda boda to take him from home before he was intercepted by a group of other boda boda riders and the bag containing the cash robbed.
“The victim had used the boda boda from his home in Kololo and it is suspected the same rider was on surveillance and tipped his gang,” Namutebi said.
Following the incident, the Police Flying Squad and Crime Intelligence Directorate tracked and arrested one of the suspects in Kisenyi in Kampala leading to recovery of $3300 and shs1.9 million in cash from his home.
The development comes a few days after a similar incident in which a Chinese national was robbed of shs200 million by men travelling on boda bodas who seem to have trailed him and on reaching Martin Road in Kampala, they intercepted the boda boda he was traveling on and robbed the bag which contained money.
In the resultant operation, the Police Flying Squad and Crime Intelligence Directorate operatives arrested three suspects from Bulenga in Wakiso district and Fort Portal in Western Uganda where two motorcycles used in the robbery and three others bought using the robbed cash were impounded.
“We appeal to the business community, especially foreign nationals to desist from transporting large sums of money on themselves. They should seek for professional escorts or escorts from police and should ensure the time they are carrying the money is safe and secure to avoid similar incidents,” Namutebi urged.
