Africa-Press – Uganda. An intelligence led operation involving Entebbe Police and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has effected arrests of 19 suspects accused of being in possession of marijuana and smoking shisha.
On Tuesday, Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango said the crackdown was conducted in Mpala-Entebbe areas.
“The operation was carried out to eliminate criminals terrorizing the public,” Onyango noted in brief press statement.
Naming the suspects, he said they are all detained at Entebbe Police Station pending appearance in court.
Detained suspects
1. Mark Johnson
2. Abdu Razak Kakungulu
3. Kevin Musazi
4. Charles Ssemanda
5. Vincent Muwonge
6. Paul Mutebi
7. Innocent Owor
8. Joel Seruba
9. Nicolas Kaggwa
10. Hassan Bwire
11. Shafik Musoke
12. Denis Birumwe
13. Geofrey Kainerugaba
14. Leko Ssempa
15. Johnathan Muwanguzi
16. Simon Ssemakula
17. Bosco Tanzi
18. Samuel Ssemwanga
19. Dickson Kasozi
Background
Early June, police reactivated its special purpose taskforce in a bid to fight rising crime in especially Kampala. This followed a resurgence of gangs filmed trailing and striking their victims in the chin with snap kicks, leaving them unconscious or injured on the ground.
The suspects then rob valuables from the victims in public glare, according to circulated footage of some of the attacks caught on Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras around Uganda’s capital.
In September 2015, President Museveni assented to the Tobacco Control Act, which was gazetted on November 18 the same year.
The law provides for stringent measures aimed at protecting non- smokers from the health, social, economic and environmental consequences of tobacco use and exposure.
The Act puts a total ban on some tobacco products including shisha, smokeless tobacco such as kubar which is chewed and other flavoured tobacco products.
The law also banned the production, sale and use of electronic cigarettes.
According to the law, any person who contravenes the Tobacco Control Act is liable to imprisonment of a term not less than a year or a fine of Shs420, 000 or both.
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