Police in Busoga East have arrested three men accused of posing as Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) enforcement officers to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
The suspects Charles Wakabi, Musa Musoke, and Hassan Bakakyi were apprehended by the Police Flying Squad from their hideout in Silver Ward, Northern Division, Iganga Municipality.
They are currently detained at Iganga Central Police Station. The arrests followed a month-long investigation after the trio allegedly fleeced Shs 16.5 million from Joel Mubiru, a fisherman from Mayuge district.
Mubiru recounted that he was first contacted by Wakabi, who introduced himself as a URA enforcement officer for the Busoga sub-region. Wakabi allegedly informed Mubiru about a purported URA auction of fishing nets seized from tax defaulters, offering them at prices far below market value.
Their first physical meeting took place at a URA checkpoint in Umbercoat-Mbulamuti-Bumbercoat, en route to the new bridge, which helped convince Mubiru of the offer’s legitimacy.
Further meetings at the URA offices in Jinja City, where Wakabi reportedly mingled freely with staff and displayed impounded items, further dispelled Mubiru’s doubts. However, Wakabi later lured Mubiru into a hotel room under the pretense of finalizing the transaction.
There, Wakabi and three unidentified accomplices allegedly held Mubiru at gunpoint, forcing him to surrender Shs 16.5 million. After robbing him, they locked him inside the room, where he was later rescued by hotel staff who alerted the police, triggering the investigation.
Busoga East police spokesperson Michael Kafayo confirmed the arrests but declined to provide further details about the charges or evidence recovered, noting that full information would be released upon conclusion of investigations.
Meanwhile, the area LC I chairperson, Robert Byekwaso, revealed that the suspects, along with others still at large had rented a two-bedroom house earlier this year. Byekwaso described their behaviour as suspicious, noting that they kept to themselves indoors for long periods and were only active during weekends, coinciding with the period Mubiru was defrauded.
