Police in Kalangala District have arrested two suspects at the Nkose-Katooke landing site in Mazinga Sub-county, linked to a series of machete-wielding pirate attacks on fishermen in Lake Victoria.
The two suspects are believed to be aged 21 and 25.
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Twaha Kasirye, the Masaka Regional Police spokesperson explaining the latest attack, said, “The attackers, armed with machetes, attempted to intimidate the fishermen. In the struggle, the victims fell and drowned. The pirates then stole all their fish and fuel before fleeing.”
This latest attack resulted in the deaths of two Tanzanian fishermen, identified as Dadi and Zaakayo, residents of the Butujja landing site in Mwanza.
The two were apprehended during a police operation on February 12, while the third suspect, only identified as Kaweesi, remains on the run.
“We are searching for Kaweesi. Fortunately, we recovered the machetes used in the attack,” Kasirye added.
The suspects face aggravated robbery charges, while the marine police continue searching for the bodies of the drowned fishermen.
Local fishermen expressed relief at the arrests, hoping they would deter further attacks.
“Mazinga has become dangerous for fishermen. We have been working in fear. We thank the police for acting,” said John Sembuure, a resident of the Nkose-Katooke landing site.
Survivors alleged that some pirates are fellow fishermen from neighboring countries who steal to fund their return journeys, while others are local fishermen replacing stolen equipment.
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