The Police Flying Squad has launched a manhunt for a private security guard accused of stealing more than Shs 290 million while on duty at Goldex Global Company offices in Kampala.
The suspect, Justin Akena, attached to Magnum Security Company Limited, allegedly broke into a vehicle he had been assigned to guard and made off with a bag containing the cash and suspected gold.
The incident occurred over the weekend at the company premises on Mawanda Road in Kamwokya. Kampala Metropolitan deputy police spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire, said Akena had been deployed at the facility for some time before the incident.
“We appeal to the public with any information on Akena Justin’s whereabouts to come forward,” Owoyesigyire said.
“He allegedly broke into a vehicle he was guarding on Saturday, took Shs 290 million and some gold, and disappeared. Our teams are actively tracking him.”
Police, in collaboration with the security company, have intensified efforts to apprehend the suspect and bring him to justice.
The incident adds to a string of high-profile robberies involving private security guards, many of whom are later traced through personal records or guarantors provided during recruitment, though some manage to evade capture entirely.
In November 2024, two guards attached to G4S were arrested over the theft of more than Shs 1 billion from a bullion van along Entebbe Road. The suspects abandoned the vehicle in Lungujja before being tracked and apprehended in Kwania district.
In a separate case, Abraham Opedun, a guard with Safetec Security Company Ltd, was implicated in the 2025 arson and theft at Snail Forex Bureau in Arua Park, Kampala, where about Shs 15.2 million was stolen.
According to the Private Security Association, insider involvement in such robberies is often linked to systemic challenges within the industry, including low pay, delayed wages, inadequate training, and the hiring of guards from uncertified firms as a cost-cutting measure.
