A TEAM of detectives yesterday went to Mount Elgon National Park to investigate the murder of Belgian tourist Annick Van De Venster early this month.

As the team of officers from the CID headquarters in Kampala, Mbale and Kapchorwa districts began work, news emerged that about four automatic rifles suspected to have been used by the assailants had been seized.

Sources said the rifles, many looking old, were due to be transferred to Kampala for examination by ballistic experts.

Six people, all from Kapchorwa, have so far been arrested in connection with the murder but the Police said they were still on the hunt for one key suspect, said to have been a member of the killer gang.

The deputy director in charge crime at the CID headquarters, Moses Balimwoyo, said he would give details after the investigations team returns.

"I dispatched a team to the mountain. They began climbing to the top at 6:00am and it will take them about six hours. Hopefully, they should start their descent tomorrow (today) and until then, I can not say much." Balimwoyo was also cagey about the seized guns.

Unknown gunmen shot Annick Van De Venster at Hunters' Cave close to the mountain peak on the evening of February 5. The 35-year-old mountain climber had arrived in Uganda on January 28 for a one-month tour.

"It has been established that when the killers saw the campfire the rangers had lit to keep them warm, they thought it was a ranger patrol. Their plan was to kill the rangers and steal their guns," Balimwoyo said.

Uganda Wildlife Authority publicist Lillian Nsubuga said in a previous interview: "Upon hearing gunshots, she came out of her tent with a headlight and was shot in the waist."

A UPDF chopper that was sent to rescue the tourist failed to land due to poor visibility caused by bad weather.

It was the first time such an incident happened in the park, which lies on the border of Uganda and Kenya.