MITYANA District (UGNEWSLINE) – Police in central Uganda have arrested a suspected serial number plate thief accused of removing registration plates from vehicles and demanding money from owners in exchange for information about their whereabouts.
Ssekyanzi Martin, 24, was arrested in Wabigalo, Mityana District, on 27 October following a joint operation by Mityana police and the Wamala Region Flying Squad Unit, according to regional police spokesperson Lameck Kigozi.
Police said the suspect was tracked using a phone contact he allegedly left behind on a victim’s vehicle after removing its number plates.
Investigators believe the contact was part of a scheme in which motorists are forced to pay money to recover their stolen plates, with the suspect allegedly offering to reveal where he had hidden them in exchange for a ransom.
The victim reported the incident to Mityana Police Station, prompting officers to begin tracing the phone contact, which eventually led to the suspect’s arrest.
Kigozi said Ssekyanzi had previously been convicted twice over similar offences and was suspected of returning to the same criminal activity despite his earlier encounters with the law.
According to police, the suspect told investigators that he had begun operating alone in June after falling out with his accomplices over disagreements about how to share the money obtained from victims.
He is suspected of removing more than nine number plates since then, police said, before his arrest brought his alleged activities to the attention of investigators.
The suspect’s case file is being prepared for submission to court, where he is expected to face charges relating to the alleged offences. The allegations have not yet been tested in court.
The case highlights a form of vehicle-related crime in which thieves exploit motorists’ need to recover stolen registration plates, potentially exposing victims to additional financial losses after the initial theft.
Police have urged young people to pursue legitimate and sustainable means of earning a living rather than engaging in criminal activities.
“Survival on criminality is a dangerous gamble,” Kigozi said, warning that repeat offending could lead to further encounters with the justice system.
