Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City
Panic has gripped the Northern Tanzanian town of Arusha following the reported well planned child kidnapping racket by a suspect Kampala gangs of criminals.
So far about six children aged under ten years have mysteriously disappeared, but some of them have resurfaced in the Uganda capital City, Kampala where they were rescued by the police and other security apparatus.
News emerging from Dar Es Salaam says security intelligence network in both Tanzania and the neighboring Uganda have been intensified after several children were rescued from a gang of criminal in Uganda.
The syndicates of kidnapping gangs are always asking for ransom money, which ranges from USD 2,000 and USD 3,000 for ransom before the kidnapped children are released to their parents.
The child kidnapping racket, according to newspaper reports, are operating in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, but using agents and collaborators in both Kenya and Tanzania. The syndicate is said to have succeeded in kidnapping under the age of 10 years in Tanzania triggering the worst panic among parents in the country’s history. The revelation came in the heels of another shocking story of albinos killing, which has been rampant in all countries of the East African Community.
Over the recent past months a total of five children have been abducted in the Northern Tanzanian town of Arusha and taken to the Ugandan capital, Kampala by the blackmail syndicates.
Arusha Regional Police Commander Basilio Metei was last week quoted by the EASTAFRICAN, A Nairobi weekly publication as saying that the local police in collaboration with the Interpol had partly succeeded in arresting a couple in Kampala in connection with the kidnap of a six year old boy.
The crime, he said, is relatively a new phenomenon in Tanzania and it is forcing parents to reduce their working hour in order to stay at home with their children.
Three out of five abducted kids were traced in Kampala City after intensive negotiations and their parents paying colossal amount of money as much as USD 6.000IN RANSOM MONEY.
Police have confirmed they have details about some cases.ase where we have arrested a woman and a man said police spokesman Vincent Sakatte.
However, the Ugandan Minister for Internal Affairs Miria Kassaija who also chairs the national security committee said she was ignorant about any incident of that nature. I a m totally ignorant about it. “What I know pretty well is that we have laid a trap for the arrest of Tanzanians who comes here looking for Albinos. But the M9nistr had promised to check the facts with the intelligence and police authorities.
And from Arusha the Police boss revealed that two people a woman and a man were recently arrested as they attempt to withdraw ransom money worth USD 3,000 deposited by Khaltani parents at the Kenya Commercial; Bank {KCB} Uganda account No 2200763395.
An Interpol e-mail to Tanzania police force seen by the writer of the WEEKLY EASTAFRICAN named the woman as a Tanzanian married to a Ugandan suspect(both names withheld for legal reasons]
A boy was kidnapped on June 7 at Sanawari suburb in Arusha City. The boy was later traced and rescued good health by Interpol on August 12 said Mr Mmetei.Kelvi9n Francis another b ducted boy was also safely rescued in Kampala City in April this year after his parents paid USD 2000ransom following three weeks of negotiations with Ugandan kidnappers.
AQ six year old girl Upendo Abisento Pallangyo from Singiri village on the sloes of Mount Meru near Arusha was abducted in June and is still missing to-date. He Aunt Joyce Pallangyo said they have done everything possible to trace this child, but all in vain.”It is hard for us as a family to come to terms with the kidnappers. We are ready to pay anything to get this child back alive.”
V Saniuel, yet another child who was kidnapped in Arusha in late August, was later rescued by a good Samaritan, according to the police chief.
Narrating the ordeal Meteri said the missing girl had tried to access a local latrine, but found it locked from the inside as if it was occupied by someone. The girl had decided to go and release herself inside the nearby banana plantation farm and that is when a group of women pounced on her and grabbed and blindfolded the pupil,” the police chief said.
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leooderaomolo@yahoo.com