MITYANA.
The police arrested the UPDF 1st Infantry Division deputy commander, Col. James Kasule and his guards on allegations of armed robbery and abduction of a gold dealer in Mubende District.
Col Kasule and his guards were reportedly intercepted by Wamala Region police officers on the Mityana-Mubende highway as they drove off a gold merchant they had reportedly abducted, according to security sources .
Senior police officers at Wamala Police Region in Mityana confirmed the arrest of Col Kasule and his bodyguards, but did not give any details.
“It is true the colonel and his guards were arrested by our detective but have since been handed over to the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces . It is better you talk to the UPDF leadership for more information ,” a senior police officer at Wamala Police Regional headquarters said on Sunday
Maj Gen Felix Kulayigye, the Director of Defense Public Information, said he was yet get details about the said incident .
Sources said Col Kasule and his guards drove to the scene to raid the victims whom they suspected to be in possession of smuggled gold and cash .
However, they arrived at the scene only to discover the victim did not have any gold and money.
The soldier then abducted the target and drove him off as someone tipped off the police who then swung into action and intercepted the suspects.
Soldiers and security personnel are increasingly getting involved in illegal gold deals and robbery in the country .
In May , four Flying Squad Unit officers, including a Superintendent of Police, were arrested and arraigned in court on allegations of aggravated robbery of gold and dollars from John Vian Tumukunde at Nakawa in Kampala City on May 9, 2025.
The four officers were remanded to prison.
In July last year, some soldiers were also involved in a robbery of gold that left two people dead in Buddo on Kampala –Masaka highway .