People dealing in metal scraps have been cautioned against using under-aged children in their business to collect the objects, which is both against and punishable by the law, and exposes the children to serious risks.
This follows a recent incident in Karongi District where a 15-year old boy picked a rusty old landmine as he was collecting scraps.
According to Police in Karongi, the boy, in an attempt to sell the object at a higher price, he tried to open it to load it with sand to increase its weight, a prerequisite to high value metals.
Fortunately, the boy was saved by residents, who noticed and identified the dangerous explosive and immediately informed security organs, who arrived shortly and took over the situation as the boy left unharmed.
While addressing owners of scraps businesses in Karongi, the District Community Liaison Officer (DCLO) Inspector of Police (IP) Jean Baptiste Rutebuka appealed to the traders to refrain from engaging children in scrap metal collection, an act he said amounts to child labour, which is punishable by law.
He noted that by buying such scraps from children they will be encouraging them to continue indulging in this child labour activity.
Although there are rare cases of people including children, being harmed by some of the “few explosives” that could still be abandoned in bushes, IP Rutebuka emphasized that “safety means being vigilant and not touching any suspicious object” but rather be quick to inform security organs for proper management.
He, however, commended the residents, who acted responsibly and were quick to call security organs and rescuing the boy.
“When anyone finds a suspicious object, walk away from them and immediately inform police or other security organs which have the skills to determine if it’s a dangerous object and to handle it,” he said.
There is no criminal liability to any person who reports an abandoned firearm or explosive, or surrenders a weapon voluntarily.
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