Police in Kampala have arrested two individuals suspected to have been stealing number plates from motor vehicles.

The suspects identified as Natamba Brian and Katushabe Saul are said to have been stealing plates in areas of Lubowa, Zzana, Bunamwaya, Katale, Bukwenda, Seguku and Nalumunye.

They were arrested in operation mounted following complaints to police from the affected communities.

“After plucking off the car licence plates, the suspects would leave their mobile phone contacts on the vandalised car, which the victims were expected to call for details about the whereabouts of their motor vehicle plates,” Police said in a Tuesday statement.

“When the victims called the suspects’ mobile phone number, the receiver would tell them to send them money first before they reveal to them where they hid the licence plates.”

The duo was arrested from areas of Seguku and Namasuba from where they later led the police where they hid the licence plates.

“At least 46 different number plates were recovered and verification of the owners of the licence plates is ongoing,” the Police statement further read.

“Our crime database shows that the duo was arrested before on the similar offence of stealing from motor vehicles and remanded to prison. They started from where they stopped upon release from the prison. They will be arraigned in courts of law again as soon as investigations are done.”