Kampala, Uganda — Police in Nakaseke District have arrested 22 people and recovered suspected wildlife products and hunting equipment during an intelligence-led night patrol in Wakyato Sub-county.
The suspects were arrested on August 17 at Mijumwa Trading Centre after police officers intercepted a white Toyota Hiace taxi carrying the group, according to Savannah Region Police spokesperson Sam Twiineamazima.
Twiineamazima said officers searched the vehicle and recovered several items suspected to be connected to illegal wildlife hunting and the possession of wildlife products.
The recovered items included pangas, spears, hunting nets and knives, alongside plant roots and leaves. Police also recovered smoked and fresh meat suspected to be from wild animals, three pairs of Oribi horns, five exhibits linked to bushbuck and several porcupine quills.
“A white Toyota Hiace taxi was intercepted with 22 occupants. Inside the vehicle, the police recovered suspected hunting gear that included pangas, spears, hunting nets, knives, plant roots and leaves, smoked and fresh suspected wild meat, three pairs of Oribi horns, five bushbuck and porcupine quills,” Mr Twiineamazima said.
Police have opened a case of unlawful possession of wildlife species against the 22 suspects as investigations continue to establish the circumstances surrounding the recovered items and whether the group could be linked to previous wildlife-related offences.
The suspects are expected to be taken before the Standards, Utilities and Wildlife Court once investigations are complete and the charges are finalised.
Under the Uganda Wildlife Act, 2019, unauthorised possession of wildlife specimens or products and prohibited hunting equipment is an offence. Convicted offenders may face penalties prescribed under the law, depending on the nature and circumstances of the offence.
Police have not yet established whether the suspected wildlife products recovered from the vehicle originated in Nakaseke or were being transported from another area.
The arrests come amid continued efforts by law enforcement agencies and wildlife authorities to curb poaching, illegal hunting and trafficking of protected wildlife products in Uganda.
In June 2026, two people were arrested in Kapelebyong District after they were allegedly found in possession of ivory suspected to have originated from young elephants in the Karamoja sub-region.
Earlier in February, a suspect identified as Francis Opira was arrested in Nwoya District after being found in possession of 154 kilogrammes of raw elephant tusks.
Uganda Wildlife Authority officials have previously raised concerns about the use of porous border points to move protected animal products out of the country.
Courts have also handed down custodial sentences in wildlife-related cases. In October 2025, Albert Oyirwoth was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to unlawful entry into Murchison Falls National Park, hunting and possessing five buffalo heads.
The latest arrests in Nakaseke are expected to help investigators establish the source of the suspected wildlife products and determine whether the suspects were acting independently or as part of a wider illegal hunting or wildlife trafficking network.