Two suspected kidnappers of American tourist Kimberly Sue Endicott have been arrested. Endicott and her Ugandan tour guide Jean Paul Mirenge Remezo were kidnapped by four gunmen from Queen Elizabeth national park near the Uganda-DR Congo border last week on April 4.
The suspects, only identified as Hakim and Kwarishiima, were flown from Kanungu district where they were tracked using a device which was placed in the ransom money they received before setting Endicott and Mirenge free.
“The intelligence led operation which was calculated and tactical, in the early stages is now progressing unhindered, with raids and extensive searches in Kanungu district, where the suspects were arrested and the neighboring areas,” said Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga in a press statement.
Enanga appreciated the role security team for the work so far done as far as the kidnapping incident is concerned. “We want to applaud the Joint Security team, for ensuring the kidnapping incident, where the captors were armed, in a very dynamic setting, did not go wrong, and for their breakthrough in attempts to crack down, the criminal gang,” he said in statement of April 9.
“We continue to remain committed to the safety of the community, and also thank all stakeholders including the US Embassy, the Tourism Sector, families and friends, and the Media for their patience and support during the recovery efforts,” he said.
The gunmen had demanded a ransom of $500,000 (about Shs 1.8bn) using their victims’ cell phones. Security sources said Monday that kidnappers received a negotiated sum of $30,000 (about 112 million) out of $500,000 (Shs 1.8bn) they had earlier demanded to free the abductees.
But according to police, the two were rescued from the Democratic Republic of Congo by a joint effort involving the Uganda police, Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and sister security agencies.
The two were recovered unharmed, in good health and in the safe hands of the joint security team.
