Crime
3 foreigners, 1 Ugandan arrested for attempting to fraudulently acquire passports
Three foreigners and one Ugandan are in trouble after they were arrested while attempting to fraudulently acquire Ugandan passports.
Simon Mundeyi the Public Relations Officer for Immigration says that the trio was arrested from different areas across the country.
Speaking to reporters during the weekly joint security press conference at Naguru Police Headquarters, Mundeyi identified one of the suspects as Ishime Gadiel alias Aime 29-year-old Burundian national and musician who first came to Uganda in August 2018.
Aime was then using a Buirundian passport but later acquired a Ugandan National ID after claiming to be a Munyankole from Kiruhura district.
He used the same fraudulent means and acquired a Ugandan passport but was arrested from Busia where he was attempting to go to Germany. Mundeyi says that the suspect is detained at the immigration detention centre at Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The second suspect is Saunders David Joshua alias Damba Joshua a 27-year-old Nigerian national claiming to be a businessman dealing in computers. Mundeyi says Joshua has been frequently traveling to Uganda and his last entry was in 5th February 2023 using Katuna border post.
The suspect fraudulently obtained a Ugandan National ID as Damba Joshua David and used it to apply for a Ugandan passport.
However, immigration officers at the passport interview office room number 29 suspected that he was not Ugandan and asked him to bring a relative to authenticate his story.
“He presented a one Sseruwagi Gibson as his paternal relative. His Nigerian passport was recovered and we have it. The two, Sanders Joshua and his accomplice Sseruwagi are in custody,” says Mundeyi.
He added that Sseruwagi is one of the brokers that have been helping foreigners to fraudulently acquire National IDs and there after applying for passports.
The other suspect is Kaliisa Sam, 29-year-old Rwandan national and resident of Kitemu in Wakiso district. He came to Uganda in 2022 through a non gazetted entry point and connected with a man only identified as Shafik who helped him to obtain a National ID.
According to Mundeyi, Kaliisa impersonated Shafik and used his information including his parents for the national ID before using it to apply for a passport.
“Kaliisa escaped from custody at Jinja Road Police Station. On top of the charges we already levied against him, he will be charged with escaping from lawful custody. He found a way and took off as the officers were trying to take his statement,” Mundeyi added.
Mundeyi says their system at the immigration office has improved and that no foreigner will be able to get a Ugandan passport.
“We are calling upon these people to acquire other resident facilities relevant to work like students passes and work permits. We do not want our national document to lose its credibility and integrity. We shall work hard to ensure that our passports remain in the hands of Ugandans only,” Mundeyi explained.
He says the Ugandans who were helping the suspects charged them 10 million shillings and 5,000 USD respectively for a passport.
