Tayari News
KAMPALA – The Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) has arrested at least 231 foreign nationals in a series of intelligence-led operations conducted in Kampala and Adjumani District over the past two days.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs spokesperson, Simon Peter Mundeyi, the coordinated enforcement targeted individuals suspected of residing in Uganda illegally and engaging in unlawful activities.
In Kampala, 169 foreign nationals were arrested during an overnight operation from April 27 into the morning of April 28 at a residential property in Bukoto along the Bukoto-Ntinda road. Authorities say the premises had been converted into a highly restricted, self-contained facility, with limited movement for occupants.
Mundeyi said the building had effectively been turned into a dormitory, with one section operating as an office equipped with computers and sophisticated communication devices suspected to have been used in online scams, as well as gaming and betting activities. Preliminary findings also suggest the group had Ugandan accomplices who helped identify and lure victims.
According to officials, victims would receive calls and be handed phones to speak with individuals posing as foreign employers offering lucrative job opportunities abroad, only to be defrauded in the process.
“We received a tip-off that these people were engaging in illegal activities without proper documentation allowing them to work here,” Mundeyi said. “We found them with computers and other equipment. Their work involves scamming desperate Ugandans seeking jobs.”Mundeyi revealed that many of the suspects did not possess identification documents such as passports, and some claimed their documents had been confiscated by their employers, who are currently on the run.
Under the Immigration Act, all foreigners must carry their documents at all times. We will process and screen them to verify how many possess passports, valid visas, or work permits. That is our next step,” he added.
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