Fuel tankers get police escort in Uganda over terror threat

Fuel tankers are now being given police escort to their destinations in Uganda following reports that they are targeted by terrorists.

The tankers are being escorted by Ugandan police.

Security sources at the border who did not wish to be named, said they had received information at the police headquarters stating that terrorists are planning major attacks in public places in Kampala.

The report stated that the attackers had targeted major public gathering places, churches and other government installations within Kampala and the attacks would be carried out using fuel tankers.

This made the police to take measures to ensure that fuel tankers were secured from the point of entry to their destination or exit points to other countries.

“We are now instructed to properly vet and screen each tanker as it enters the country and given escort to their destinations,” said the source.

The move which started about a week ago, has seen increased screening of cargo and fuel tankers at the border with increased checks on personnel handling the cargo.

The police have established three checkpoints at the border with the first point of entry targeting the smuggling of illegal persons into the country.

The second stage is where the cargo is checked for quality and to ensure they have proper documentation.

The trucks are then placed at a holding point where the tankers documents are given to the security personnel with the details of the vehicles and the occupants are again checked and before the vehicle is released.

The source indicated that the tankers move in groups of between 20 to 30 trucks and have three different set-off times. T
he escort involves a lead car that has armed officers, another at the end of the convoy also with armed officers and other officers riding in selected trucks in the convoy.

The convoy is then released with other vehicles monitoring their movements at particular checkpoints. Trucks heading to Juba who divert along the way are also given police escort to the border of Uganda and Sudan while the rest are all escorted to their destinations.

Clearing agents also stated that the trucks are not allowed to travel at night and the new travel schedule has forced drivers to change their arrival times.

Mr. Lewis Olinyo, a clearing agent, said the trucks which arrived at the border after 7pm were forced to stay overnight and wait for an escort the next day.