Aviation Police has impounded narcotics drugs worth Shillings 5.2 billion at Entebbe International Airport in the last six months. The value of heroin drugs so far confiscated is just Shillings 2billion short of the amount of drugs impounded and destroyed in 2018.
In March this year, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj Gen Muzeeyi Sabiiti presided over the destruction of 68 kilograms of heroin collected in 2017 and 2018 in Nsambya police barracks. Police have so far impounded 95kg of heroin this year.
This represents an increase of 27kg of heroin compared to the drugs impounded throughout 2018. A senior police officer intimated to local news agency, Uganda Radio Network (URN) that a keen study is being conducted to understand why people have risked smuggling high value drugs despite the stringent measures and technologies utilized at Entebbe Airport.
The source said another group of detectives is closely following why most of the traffickers have been arrested while sneaking drugs out of the country yet they should have been detected during entry. The Deputy Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire named some of the people who were arrested smuggling drugs in or out of the country this year.
They include Huzaifa Ssemwogerere who was arrested on Tuesday with 3kg of heroin valued at Shillings 166m. Investigators have since established that Ssemwogerere had picked drugs from someone at Ggangu-Busalaba in Makindye Ssabagabo Municipality.
A fortnight ago, Aviation police arrested Dutch national, Jhinkoe Rai Toelsieram alias Ruben with 63.9kg of heroin just four kilograms less of the entire heroin seized in 2018.
The drugs were valued at Shillings 3.5billion. Investigators have since established that Ruben picked heroin packed as sugar from his associates at a top hotel along Kayunga road in the city Centre. Ruben spent two days in the hotel.
The managers of the hotel have since recorded statements with police, saying they checked his bags and only saw packed sugar. Source said some top city hotels in Kampala are being monitored and several of their staff have been grilled since many of the drug pushers and their accomplices had spent nights in their hotels.
Other drugs traffickers arrested in the last six months include Maurice Handrick Martin who had 3.1kgs valued at Shillings 166.5m, Tan Yuan Yin 2.8kg value at Shillings 155.4M, Huan Wen Xian 4.2kg valued at Shillings 222M, Zam Nansamba and Andrew Luwemba Kwagalakwe were arrested with 6.5kg valued at Shillings 333M.
Matcha Lobato Manbacar was arrested with 4.4kg worth Shillings 222M, Elly Musinguzi 5.2kg worth Shillings 277M and Kamara Mabinty with 1.93kg valued at Shillings 105M.
URN
