Panic as rice stocks stolen

NORTHERN police commander Superintendent Michael Welly says that armed robbers have stolen bags of rice from a container at the province’s main rice terminal, causing fears of a shortage.
“The suspects broke open a container on Monday morning at about 2am and ransacked the container with rice bales in Popondetta town.,” he said.
“We were unable to respond because we had no fuel for our vehicle. Now we have fuel so my officers are investigating the incident”.
A town resident requesting anonymity said that police had raided a settlement after been tipped that youths from that settlement had ransacked the rice terminal.
“But they found no evidence and left. After they had left, the youths removed the rice bales from their hiding place and began selling them for K30 each at the settlement. All the rice bales were sold out.”
The resident said there was some panic in town following fears that rice stocks in all the shops were running low,” the resident said.
“Residents are rushing and buying rice in bulk. This is the second time that our rice storage has been ransacked Last week suspects broke into the rice storage shed at the Oro Bay wharf and ransacked the stock”.
Reports posted on social media claimed that a lone police officer drove by but could not do anything against such a large group and simply watched.