Police in Nateete have arrested two people and successfully rescued a 7-year-old girl who was allegedly kidnapped on January 26, 2025.
The operation exposed a sinister plot orchestrated by the victim’s mother and elder sister, who staged the kidnapping in an attempt to extort Shs5 million from the child’s father.
According to Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango, the victim’s father reported the kidnapping after receiving ransom demands.
A team of intelligence officers and detectives immediately launched an operation to locate and rescue the child.
Tracking the suspect’s location to Kasenge Nakawuka, near the victim’s home, the team intercepted a phone call where the suspect allowed the victim to speak with her father.
The distressed child was heard crying and pleading for rescue, claiming her captors had threatened to kill her.
Further investigation uncovered a disturbing truth: the child’s mother, Teo Nagadya, and her 20-year-old daughter, Winnie Namukwaya, were behind the staged kidnapping.
Security revealed that they used artificial intelligence (AI) technology to alter their voices, making it seem as though a male kidnapper was making the ransom demands.
During a search operation near the mother’s workplace, the victim was found alive and unharmed. A Tecno phone containing the SIM card used to contact the father was recovered.
Both Nagadya and Namukwaya were arrested and are facing charges for their roles in the staged kidnapping. Police are also pursuing the individual who sold the registered SIM card used in the crime.
“This operation was conducted successfully without any casualties. The suspects will face the full force of the law, and further investigations are underway,” said Onyango.
The case has highlighted the alarming misuse of emerging technologies such as AI to commit crimes. Authorities are urging the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to law enforcement.
