Police in Ntinda has arrested a thief of motor vehicle number plates identified as Farouk Matovu aged 25 years a hawker and resident of Nakawa area in Kampala City.
Matovu was arrested from Nakawa near Total after being trailed for a long period of time by a team of officers. During his interrogation, Matovu told the officers of how he has been stealing many number plates from areas of Ntinda, Kiwatule, Kulambiro, Naguru and surroundings areas.
Matovu alleged that he moves at night plucking off vehicle number plates and leaving behind a paper on the front screen of the car stating the telephone number to reach him on if you want to get back your number plate.
“Whenever the victims call the number they are instructed to send money via telephone and then he directs the victim where he hid the number plates.
He hides them in either the nearby bush, buries them in nearby gardens or in heaped rubbish near the victim’s residence,” says Kampala Metropolitan deputy spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire.
After his arrest, he police around where he hid the victims’ number plates. About nine number plates have been recovered from Kigoowa, Northern Bypass, Kiwatule and Kulambiro.
They include : UBA 670Q, UAT 783Y, UAW 379Y, UAR 859K, UBB 475N, UAR 261K, UAJ 019P, UAH 907Q and UAR 859K.
Investigations are still on with an aim of recovering more number plates and have the suspect arraigned before courts of law on allegations of theft of number plates.