Police in Banda, Metropolitan Kampala, over the weekend arrested Maara Gerald who is suspected to be part of a City racket that steals motor vehicle number plates and resells them to the owners.
According to Uganda Police spokesperson, ACP Kituuma Rusoke, the arrest follows an incident on September 17, 2024 when one Tazib Rajab, a resident of Naguru parish in Nakawa Division, discovered that his vehicle (Registration No. UAM 203Y) was missing its front number plate.
As Rajab approached the car, he noticed a small note with a phone number, When he called the number, the person on the other end requested money to be sent to that contact. Rajab decided to report the incident to the police instead of complying with the ransom demand.
Following his report to police crime investigators tracked down and arrested Maara Gerald, a 25-year-old from Banda B1 in Banda.
Upon search on the suspect’s residence, the investigators recovered additional number plates believed to have been illegally removed from various vehicles or taken from stolen cars.
“We commend Mr. Tazib for promptly involving us in this matter. Many victims often resort to paying ransoms; however, this approach frequently fails to yield results as offenders continue to change their demands and ask for more money.” ACP Kituuma stated.