Ugandan security forces have rescued a child who was abducted in Mengo, Kampala, and nearly trafficked into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In an operation led by the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF), police arrested a 17-year-old suspect foiling a potential child kidnapping.

According to Police Spokesperson ACP Rusoke Kituuma, the abduction occurred on Monday, July 21, 2025, along Musajja Alumbwa Road in Mengo, Kampala.

“Our intelligence officers tracked the perpetrators as they crossed into the Democratic Republic of Congo. With the assistance of the UPDF, the kidnapper was apprehended, and the child was successfully rescued,” Kituuma said in a post on X.

Police disclosed that the kidnappers had reportedly demanded a ransom of Shs30 million.

One of the suspects in custody has been identified as Amani Jasteri, a 17-year-old male from Mujore Village, Bunagana Parish, Jomba Subcounty in Rucuru District, DRC.

Police said investigations are ongoing to establish whether the suspect was part of a wider cross-border criminal network.