The joint security agencies have disposed off 330 jerricans of illicit Waragi in the Moroto district. Assistant Inspector of Police- AIP Mike Longole, the Moroto region police spokesperson, said the waragi was impounded during operations of substances that have been forcing youths in the area to confront security agencies without fear.
It is almost two years ever since cattle rustling became rampant in the Karamoja subregion leaving many people killed and thousands of cattle including goats and sheep stolen. President Yoweri Museveni in July last year declared a forceful disarmament exercise in the whole of the Karamoja subregion.
But the Uganda People’s Defence Forces -UPDF and the police’s Anti-Stock Theft Unit -ASTU are still far from restoring normalcy in the Karamoja area as cattle rustlers have continued to steal cattle and also attack security forces.
Security said some substances especially waragi, have been giving the false belief that they are very strong and some have engaged in confrontations with security forces purposely to get the seized alcohol.
Longole explained that the forces first secured a court order to dispose off the illicit waragi. The seizing of illicit waragi, according to Longole, has for the past two months helped to decrease incidents of cattle rustling.
UPDF and police codenamed the operations on Karamoja Usalama kwa Wote. So far more than 500 Karimojong warriors have been killed in the Karamoja area since July last year. At least 500 guns have also been seized or recovered during fire exchanges between security forces and warriors.
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