Police in Iganga District have launched a hunt for a suspected coffee thief after fresh coffee berries stolen from a farmer’s garden were traced to a nearby home using a sniffer dog.
The incident occurred in Nawanyingi Sub-county, where suspected thieves reportedly entered the coffee garden of farmer Moses Lukyaza during the night of August 10 and harvested fresh coffee berries.
Lukyaza reported the theft at Bunyiro Police Station the following morning, prompting detectives, uniformed officers and the Busoga East Police K9 Unit to respond.
Using a sniffer dog, the police team followed a scent trail for about 800 metres from the affected garden, passing through the coffee plantation and Walugoma Trading Centre before reaching the home of a man identified only as Adam.
Police found two sacks of fresh coffee berries at the doorway of the house. The sniffer dog then led officers inside, where another half-sack of coffee berries was reportedly discovered hidden under a bed.
The suspect allegedly fled after seeing the police team.
Police, village leaders and community members have since joined the search for the suspect as investigations continue.
The recovered two-and-a-half sacks of fresh coffee berries were identified by Lukyaza as his property and taken to Bunyiro Police Station for safe custody.
The incident has raised concern among coffee growers in the area, with farmers reportedly increasing security around their gardens as the harvesting season progresses.
Some growers have begun organising night patrols and taking turns to monitor their plantations to prevent thieves from accessing the gardens.
A police source urged farmers not to confront suspected thieves on their own but to alert police and local leaders so that suspects can be safely apprehended.
“The fear is that thieves could return, especially as coffee berries mature and become ready for harvesting,” the source said.
Security teams have also been encouraged to intensify patrols around coffee-growing areas and trading centres, while residents are being urged to report strangers moving through villages at unusual hours.
For farmers, the thefts pose a serious threat to household incomes, particularly during the harvesting season when coffee represents an important source of livelihood.
Police are continuing with efforts to identify and arrest the suspect linked to the latest theft.
