Entebbe — A joint security operation foiled an attempted robbery of medical equipment worth millions of shillings from the National Medical Stores (NMS) Warehouse in Entebbe in the early hours of Sunday, the Director of the State House Health Monitoring Unit, Dr Warren Namara, has revealed.
Dr Namara said two of the suspects are currently receiving treatment in the hospital, while a third is under investigation following the attempted break-in at the storage facility located along Kampala Road.
According to Dr Namara, the thieves were loading stolen items into a Toyota Hiace van with counterfeit number plates — UBB 677Q at the front and UBD 677Q at the rear — parked near the warehouse entrance.
“That is fake yellow cello tape strip, it has also got numbers that are fake, it has also lot of concealment around it. We don’t think it was a one-off or an accidental, unplanned event. No, this was a planned event. We also don’t think this is the first time because of the way they were organised,” Dr Namara said.
The suspects had brought a gas regulator, which they connected to welding gas in an attempt to cut through the warehouse’s metal and gain access. The Health Monitoring Unit is working closely with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) to question the three suspects as investigations continue.
The Principal Public Relations Officer at NMS, Ms Sheilla Nduhukire, confirmed that the thieves attempted to steal equipment worth UGX 100 million.
“Security was able to recover 78 boxes of disposable gloves and 19 boxes of oxygen regulators, worth approximately UGX 100 million. These items have now been moved to Entebbe Police Station for further investigations,” she said.
Authorities have emphasised that the thwarted attempt highlights the importance of continued vigilance around essential medical supply facilities.
