Police in Oyam District have recovered 40 number plates believed to be from stolen motorcycles following an intelligence-led operation targeting a suspected dismantling site.
According to North Kyoga Regional Police spokesperson Patrick Jimmy Okema, the operation, conducted on Tuesday, November 25, was prompted by a tip-off from a concerned resident who reported suspicious activity at the home of a man identified as Calvine Ayeni in Ajalliopoo Cell, Adel Ward, in Minakulu Town Council.
‘A thorough search was conducted within Ayeni’s premises and the surrounding areas in the presence of the LC1 chairperson and neighbours. The operation led to the recovery of about 40 motorcycle number plates buried in the banana plantation. We also recovered a box containing spanners and other tools used for dismantling and breaking motorcycles,’ Mr Okema said in a statement issued on Wednesday, November 26.
However, the suspects escaped before police arrived.
Residents say the area has become a hotspot for dismantling stolen motorcycles.
Richard Ojok Ojaga, a resident, said many of the stolen bikes are taken to the same village, stripped and sold cheaply as spare parts.
‘Last week a young man was arrested and taken to Oyam CPS over motorcycle theft. His colleagues were dispersed by police as they dismantled motorcycles into spare parts. They always sell these parts cheaply to garages here,’ he said.
This is not the first time police are cracking down on motorcycle theft in Oyam. In August 2022, nine stolen motorcycles from Acholi and Lango sub-regions were recovered and one suspect was arrested.