From All Africa

Police has warned the public to be alert on high-tech equipment robbers use to detect valuables such as laptops and expensive mobile phones when traveling in public transport vehicles.

Robbers who disguised themselves as taxi operators earlier this week robbed a New Vision journalist of his laptop worth sh2.4m.

“You should be very vigilant when boarding a taxi because thugs use gadgets that can detect laptops and expensive mobile phones,” Westley Nganizi, the Jinja Road Divisional Police Commander said.

The target said he boarded a commuter taxi at a stage near Jinja Road Police Station in Kampala at 8:00pm.

He explained that he saw the vehicle full of ‘passengers’. So naturally, no amount of suspicion lingered in his mind that it was in any way a trap. He took a front seat, with his laptop secured inside a black bag next to him.

And then the moment of the trickery came around.

He was told to assist and close the door using both his hands, and the man seated next to the driver offered to hold the laptop bag for him as he closed the door.

Read more at allafrica.com