In a dramatic turn of events early Tuesday morning, police in Mayuge District arrested three men accused of masquerading as Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) officers and robbing a local fisherman at gunpoint.
The trio reportedly made off with Shs16.5 million before being intercepted by security forces acting on a tip-off from vigilant residents.
According to police spokesperson ASP Patrick Onyango, the suspects—who were dressed in jackets resembling URA enforcement uniforms—stormed the victim’s residence in Bukatube sub-county around 2:00 a.m. They claimed to be investigating tax evasion linked to illegal fish exports.
The fisherman, identified as James Okello, had reportedly returned the previous evening from a successful fishing expedition on Lake Victoria and was in possession of the large cash sum from a bulk fish sale.
“They held the victim and his family at gunpoint, ransacked the house, and took Shs16.5 million in cash,” ASP Onyango told reporters. “They also confiscated mobile phones to prevent any immediate alert to the authorities.”
Fortunately, a neighbor noticed the suspicious activity and quickly alerted the local police, who launched a manhunt. The suspects were later intercepted in a Toyota Wish vehicle along the Iganga–Kampala highway.
Officers recovered two fake URA jackets, a pistol believed to have been used in the robbery, and Shs12 million in cash. The rest of the money is believed to have been shared or hidden prior to their arrest.
The suspects, currently detained at Mayuge Central Police Station, are facing charges of aggravated robbery, impersonation of government officials, and illegal possession of a firearm.
Investigations are ongoing to determine whether they are part of a wider syndicate targeting rural businessmen and traders under the guise of government enforcement operations.
Residents in Mayuge have expressed both relief and outrage following the arrests. “We’ve heard of such crimes in Kampala, but it’s terrifying that these gangs are now targeting villages pretending to be URA,” said Moses Muwanguzi, a local LC1 chairperson.
The Uganda Revenue Authority has since released a statement disassociating itself from the criminals, urging the public to verify the identity of any enforcement team by requesting official URA identification and contacting their toll-free number in case of doubt.
Police have vowed to intensify patrols and community sensitization to prevent further impersonation crimes.