At least eight people suspected of belonging to a racket of Immigration and Passport fraudsters have been arrested.
The suspects have been fleecing people in Kampala city by handing them fake immigration documents, according to the Internal Affairs Ministry.
The Ministry’s Legal and Inspections department picked the suspects from Nkrumah Road in Kampala on Wednesday following a tip-off from their surveillance contacts.
Shamavu Chirimwami, 24, a Congolese national; Musa Lukwata, 57, Fred Lule Lukwata, 57, Alice Solome Birimuye Mugerwa, 45, James Kizito, 49 and Christopher Kambere, 63, are expected to face court on charges of forgery and obtaining money by false pretence.
Other suspects facing similar charges are Justine Kasante Twinobusigye, 57, and Ibrahim Lokwa Bombeni .
Some of the fraudsters belonged to one family
“They were found in possession of several foreign passports, immigration facility stamps, passport forms, filled and empty bank receipts and verification stamps,” said the Ministry’s head of Inspection and Investigations, Simon Mundeyi at a press conference in Kampala.
He warned the public especially foreigners and investors against being manipulated by crooks while seeking immigration documents.
“Accessing immigration facilities has been made easier by introducing online services. More staff have been recruited to handle all cases,” said Mundeyi.
‘’We will continue to investigate and get more fraudsters. They should all stand warned that once we get them they face the courts of laws and that way we shall get rid of this problem.”