There was panic and fear at J- Smart guest house in Nansana West zone B, when police on Saturday night stormed the place to arrest one of their own, PC Patrick Katushabe, who was allegedly selling illegally obtained ivory.
Since the operation was conducted at a quarter to 8 pm, many people had already booked rooms to rest, but the police raid caused panic and fears as clients reportedly wondered what had happened.
Police officers who conducted the operation and witnesses intimate that some people attempted to flee but they were calmed down by being assured that the operation was only targeting illegal wildlife species dealers.
“Some people were only in towels and others remained with their partners, peeping through the windows,” a police source said. “We saw some trying to flee but they were told that the operation wasn’t about them. Although it did not take many minutes, it left clients in shock,” an informant said.
URN understands that Constable Katushabe was arrested alongside Dan Ayesiga after Uganda Wildlife Authority –UWA learnt that the duo had traveled from Hoima district in search of prospective buyers in Kampala.
It is reported that Katushabe and Ayesiga started making calls to buyers when they were still in Hoima and UWA investigators disguised as interested buyers started engaging them. The false buyers kept demanding for details of where they could meet for the deal to be swiftly done. It was then that the unsuspecting duo revealed the place where they had booked for the transaction to be accomplished.
Armed with details of the booked accommodation, UWA tipped Nansana police station. a Detective Assistant Inspector of Police –D/AIP was assigned to spearhead the operation which led to the arrest of Constable Katushabe and his colleague Ayesiga red-handed with 14 pieces of ivory.
Before heading out to effect the arrest, the D/AIP registered the case as SD 52/05/11/2022. Even at the time of raiding J-Smart guest house, the suspects were in communication with UWA officers who were promising that they had come with all the money needed for 14 tusks.
“Reaching Nansana west, the suspects were in communication with the team of wildlife officers who were luring them with the cash offer. The Suspects later were arrested in one of the Nansana guest houses known as J-smart and the exhibits were recovered in the same guest house. The two Suspects are detained at Nansana police station booked under SD 73/05/11/2022 for being in possession of wildlife species,” the D/AIP Ggiach states in the report sent to Kampala Metropolitan Police headquarters.
Patrick Onyango, the Kampala KMP spokesperson, said he was yet to get details of the operations and exhibits recovered. But sources have said that Nansana police will deliver the exhibits to CID headquarters in Kibuli by close of business on Sunday.
“Constable Katushabe has told us that he is from the ICT department of Jinja police while Ayesiga has said he is a driver from Hoima district,” a police source said. “These two came driving in a Toyota Wish UBM 662K and the 14 ivory pieces were in the boot.”
Constable Katushabe and Ayesiga will be arraigned in the utilities court at Buganda road where they will face charges of being in possession of wildlife species. The information so far collected indicate that the ivory was harvested from elephants killed in Buliisa district.
-URN
