Uganda Police Force is on the spot for failing to secure valuable exhibits, which affects prosecution of cases. Some of the valuable exhibits disappear from Police custody mysteriously, while some others are stolen by officers.
As reported by Uganda Radio Network, valuable exhibits stored at different police stations and the Criminal Investigations Directorate headquarters include hard cash, banned drugs, ivory and vehicles among others.
Records from the Professional Standards Unit show that approximately exhibits of 13 cases disappear annually. It also shows that unknown number of exhibits disappear from the hands of the officer before they make it to the Police station.
The disappearance and theft of exhibits is blamed on the absence of secure storage facilities at various Police stations and the CID headquarters, which leaves the officers with no option but to store them in drawers that are easily accessible by accessible by any officer especially, detectives.
Same old story
In January, senior Police officers and their junior detectives were embroiled in a dispute over sh13b seized cocaine stolen over a one-year period.
The racket involved the aviation Police, counterterrorism and intelligence according to sources.
A Police report under Entebbe Crime Registration Book (CRB) 197/ 2014 indicated that 80kg of seized cocaine was reportedly stolen from the aviation Police (AVIPOL) stores in Entebbe last year.
A kilograme of cocaine has a street value of $50,000 (about sh167m). Sources also revealed that the racket has been in place for years and that instead of destroying the seized cocaine, heroin and other drugs; large quantities have found their way into the market.
Entebbe is one of the airports in Africa used as a transit route for smuggled drugs. The cocaine had been impounded from various dealers between 2012 and 2014.
However, accusations and counter accusations of dishonesty and stifling of investigations have been made by the parties involved in fighting drug smuggling. This has culminated into suspected victimisation and transfer of junior officers.
The racket came to light after detectives took 17 separate samples from the stores for testing at the Government Analytical Laboratory (GAL) last year. Sources said the results showed wheat and cassava flour and other substances were substituted for cocaine.
David Mutende, a GAL expert, is one of the offi cers named in the Police case. Mutende, however, could not be reached for a comment.
A source said the motive was to verify whether the drugs were missing from the stores or not after information leaked that the impounded cocaine was being stolen, sold and replaced with other substances.
