By Johnson Kanyesige
The Police Flying in the Albertine region have arrested two more suspected cattle thieves.
The suspects have been identified as Muhammad Bitamazire, 39, a butcher and a resident of Sunga and Godfrey Tuhaise, 25, a resident of Mbogwa village in Kabamba sub-county in Kagadi district.
It is alleged that the suspects raided Mbogwa village in Kibaale district and reportedly stole two cows from one of the cattle farmers in the area. The incident happened in the wee hours of Wednesday morning at around 3 a.m.
Flying squad detectives started tracking the suspects, leading to their arrest on Thursday in the same area. The two stolen cows have also been recovered.
Julius Hakiza, the Albertine region police spokesperson, said that the two suspects have been on the police’s most wanted list for a long time.
He says after stealing the animals, the thieves connive with their counterparts in the districts of Wakiso, Mukono, Gulu, Nakasongola, Kampala and Masaka, where the stolen animals are transported and sold.
The Albertine region is currently experiencing a surge in cattle thefts, especially in the districts of Masindi, Hoima, Kikuube, Buliisa, Kagadi and Kikuube.
Last week, the Flying Squad detectives in the region arrested three suspected cattle thieves in Hoima district.  The suspects, with others still at large, reportedly raided Kasongoire village in Masindi district and stole two cows from one of the cattle farmers in the area and transported them to Hoima.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, while in Kikuube last month, tasked the Albertine regional police Commander (RPC) to institute a special investigation into the rampant theft of cattle in the region.
