The police are hunting for unknown thugs who raised a betting center on Ben Kiwanuka Street in the heart of the city. The incident occurred on October 5, 2024 at around 2:00am.
Reports indicate that a group of approximately ten unidentified thugs entered the betting center, posing as customers before launching an attack on an unarmed security guard, striking him with a single punch that weakened him.
During a weekly joint security briefing held at the police headquarters in Naguru, a suburb of Kampala, on October 7, 2024, Luke Owoyesigyire, the deputy spokesperson for the Kampala Metropolitan area, informed journalists that a gang reportedly made their way to the slot machines and cash drawers, making off with sh5.4 million shillings and four mobile phones.
“You know these betting centers at times work through the night and I think workers thought these were customers and were very reluctant,” he noted.
Owoyesigyire reported that the incident was logged at the Kampala Police Station, prompting authorities to launch a search for the suspects.
He emphasized that there has been a noticeable increase in robberies targeting betting establishments.
“We’ve observed a resurgence of robberies at betting companies,” he added.
He also mentioned that the on October 6, 2024, another gang of criminals struck a betting shop in Matuga, located off the Mabanda-Semuto road in Kasangati.
He said reports indicate that six assailants burst into the betting shop armed with machetes and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash.
“The victims have not yet disclosed the total amount stolen,” he added.
Owoyesigyire urged betting centers to remain vigilant about who enters their premises and to ensure they have adequate security measures in place to prevent such robberies.
