Police in Jinja District are holding a truck driver for allegedly ferrying a passenger from the coastal town of Mombasa, Kenya to Kampala ‘under’ his truck.
The District Police Commander, Mr Vincent Irama, on Wednesday (today) said the driver and his passenger were on Tuesday night intercepted by Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) security officials at Amber Court checkpoint during a routine stop.
The suspects, whose identity Mr Irama didn’t divulge, had successfully dodged multiple security checkpoints along their over 1,050-kilometer long journey from Mombasa to Jinja.
“The two were on their way to Kampala and are currently detained at Jinja Central Police Station,” Mr Irama said without divulging details because the matter is still under investigation.
“The truck was stopped by URA officials for a routine check and a security man saw someone seated where drivers usually carry items. Upon checking, a man full of dust was found,” Mr Irama said.
Mr Irama added that the passenger has since given contradicting accounts of where he comes from, by first claiming he is from Mombasa, then Kisumu before settling for Malaba.
The driver, according to Mr Irama, said he did not know that there was someone under the truck.
“ He said he never carries passengers,” Mr Irama added.
The police commander said they have preferred charges of human trafficking against the driver and illegal entry into Uganda against the passenger.
Uganda is on full security alert days after Al-Shabaab militants attacked the DusitD2 hotel and office complex in Nairobi, Kenya, killing 21 people and injuring several others.
By Daily Monitor
