By Edward Byamukama
At least eight charcoal dealers are in custody at the Kagadi central police station for allegedly carrying illegal activities in the Bugoma central forest reserve.
The suspects whose particulars have been concealed for fear of jeopardizing police investigations were arrested on Wednesday afternoon as they tried to transport several bags of charcoal through river Nguse using three locally made canoes.
They were crossing from Kikuube to Kagadi district at the time they were apprehended. Three locally made canoes that they were using to transport the charcoal have also been impounded.
Sulaiman Birungi, the Commandant of the Marine Police who is spearheading search operations for the river Nguse boat tragedy victims told Uganda Radio Network (URN) in an interview that, the suspects were intercepted on Wednesday afternoon while attempting to cross River Nguse at the same point where a recent fatal boat accident occurred in Kyaleni Cell, Paacwa Town Council in the Kagadi district.
He says, their team sighted the charcoal dealers attempting to cross the river Nguse with locally made canoes loaded with several bags of charcoal and immediately swung into action arresting them.
The three locally made canoes that they were using alongside several bags of charcoal have been impounded.
According to Birungi, following the recent boat tragedy on river Nguse that claimed several lives, security suspended the usage of locally made canoes to transport people on the river Nguse but some people have adamantly defied the directives.
He says, the police and the Uganda Peoples’ defense forces (UPDF) soldiers will remain deployed on the riverbanks to ensure that no locally made canoe is used to transport people.
Caroline Nashemeza, the Kagadi Resident District Commissioner (RDC) warned that security agencies in the area have intensified operations against people crossing from the district to Kikuube to do illegal activities in the Bugoma forest while using locally made canoes.
On Tuesday last week, a boat loaded with passengers and several bags of charcoal capsized on the river Nguse claiming several lives.
