Africa-Press – Uganda. Thugs on Monday broke into the usually heavily-guarded Adjumani Town Council Sacco and stole property worth Shs5m.
According to police preliminary investigations, the thugs intoxicated the five security guards at the premises with chloroform that left them unconscious for several hours.
This provided leeway for them to break into the Sacco offices and steal items.
The police investigations also indicate that the thugs made off with security equipment, including a CCTV camera and server, and an Internet router all valued at Shs5m.
The thugs, however, failed to open the cash safe.
Guards drugged
“We found the two guards of the Sacco, and two others who were guarding Adjumani Town Council office, and one of their colleagues working with National Water and Sewerage Corporation, lying unconscious,” Mr Benon Byamukama, the Adjumani District Police Commander, told the Monitor in an interview on Monday.
One of the guards, who had partially recovered, told the police that all of them were offered chicken muchomo and passion fruit juice by a friend and they blacked out after consuming the food.
“We thought this was normal food offered to us by a good-hearted person. But as I was finishing eating, I started dozing and then became unconscious. I could not tell what was happening to me at that time,” he said.
Mr Byamukama appealed to Sacco managers and security guards to always be vigilant while on duty.
He said investigation into the matter were ongoing.
The guards were rushed to Adjumani hospital and medics who attended to them said they were steadily recovering by Tuesday morning.
The Adjumani Town Sacco board chairperson, Mr Lawrence Mangapi, asked the Sacco members to remain calm since the thieves did not steal any cash from the safe.
Mr Mangapi said the incident was an eye-opener to the management of the Sacco and promised to improve security at the premises.
“We are considering building a new house that meets the standards of a commercial building that is approved by the Bank of Uganda,” Mr Mangapi stated.
Past incident
In 2016, armed thugs, using a similar strategy, invaded Equity Bank and gained access to the strong room but failed to open the cash safe. And as they retreated, the thugs shot dead the security guard whom they had intoxicated with drugs.
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