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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | After nearly two months of hunting, crime intelligence on Sunday arrested one, Anisha Arinaitwe, an alleged habitual phone snatcher targeting Kololo residents.
Deputy Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire confirmed that Arinaitwe 28, was arrested at Bakuli, Namirembe Parish, Rubaga Division.
It all started when Kololo residents working out in the evening or early morning hours complained of a woman who was grabbing their phones. The suspect could sometimes disguise as a jogger when her actual mission is targeting her unsuspecting joggers.
One of the victims, Rosette Atuhaire, filed a case on January 4, 2020 that her phone a Nokia Asha has been stolen by a female she met along Kololo Airstrip. Atuhairwe is a Marketing officer at Fresh Diary and a resident of Nyonyi Gardens.
“I was walking a few metres from my home and an anonymous woman snatched my phone. I think she had been trailing me without knowing,” Atuhaire reportedly said in her statement at Kololo Airstrip Police Station.
Kololo police started a search and upon checking records, it was noticed other people had fallen victim of anonymous female thief. Kololo police with the help of Closed Circuit Television – CCTV cameras erected at some residences in Kololo and started reviewing various footage.
Kololo police also alerted crime intelligence that started tracking phones stolen from residents. Crime intelligence later tracked Atuhaire’s phone and found it with two teenagers.
Police identified the teenagers as Eric Sengoba 16, and Andrew Sserwadda 18. Upon interrogation, Sengoba and Sserwadda revealed that they had bought the phone from Arinaitwe and they knew her home.
Owoyesigyire said police with the help of the teenage suspects successfully reached Arinaitwe’s home and she was arrested. Police picked other stolen phones and several Sim Card exhibits suspected to have been in the numerous stolen phones.
Another victim, Milly Nalubega, 25, upon learning that some phones had been recovered, she also lodged a complaint at Kololo police. Indeed, among the recovered phones, according to Owoyesigyire, belongs to Nalubega.
Kololo and Kampala Central Police Station – CPS records indicate Arinaitwe had previously been arrested, charged and bailed in court. Even now she was out of prison on court bail. Arinaitwe has told police that she works with one Medi, a resident of Kisenyi who is still at large.
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