Cybercrime, trafficking top EAC police region concerns

Cybercrime, drug trafficking and human smuggling remain the most pressing crimes in the 14 member countries under the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Co-operation Organisation (EAPCCO), a regional police body that Uganda is part of.

The revelations were made during the organisation’s 26th annual general meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, where key security concerns were discussed. The event was held at the end of January 2025.

The EAPCCO member countries are Uganda, Burundi, Comoros, DR Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Tanzania.

During the meeting, the Uganda Police delegation was led by Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) James Ocaya, who was accompanied by senior officials, including Assistant IGP Joseph Obwona, director of Interpol Beata Chelimo, deputy director of the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and Andrew Mubiru, the director of Forensic Services – among others.

Rwanda IGP Felix Namuhoranye officially assumed the position of EAPCCO chairperson taking over from Burundi’s Joseph Ninteretse.

In his acceptance speech, Namuhoranye expressed gratitude to his predecessor while acknowledging the persistent security challenges faced by the region, calling for practical and real-time solutions to contemporary security threats. 

“We need to become more agile, more innovative, and more proactive," he said.

Rising cybercrime threats

Cybercrime was identified as one of the most complex and rapidly evolving security threats in the region.

The increased broadband internet connectivity, technological advancements, and widespread access to mobile devices have made cybercrimes more sophisticated and harder to detect.

Recent data from Uganda’s Police forensic services revealed a sharp increase in cybercrime cases, rising from 165,001 in 2022 to 211,396 in 2023 — a 28% increase.

According to a report by the police’s directorate of Forensic services, financial institutions, government agencies, and fintech systems have been prime targets of these attacks.

“In January 2023 alone, digital forensic practitioners responded to nine incidents of unauthorized access to banking and fintech systems, resulting in losses amounting to sh15.5b,” a forensic report stated.

Seven additional incidents involved cybersecurity breaches in ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).

Kenyan hackers target Uganda 

The Police recently disclosed a calculated and coordinated cyber-attack by Kenyan hackers who targeted Uganda’s financial institutions, siphoning billions and compromising government agencies and financial applications.

Operating under aliases such as Dr Howell Kirui, Dominic Cossé, Kibeti Kinanditi and Ezra, the cybercriminals were traced to Kenyan phone numbers, including +254-73-500-2953, +254-75-4033-882, and +254-78-79-47086.

Speaking at a press conference at Police headquarters in Naguru, Kampala, police spokesperson Rusoke Kituuma explained the hackers’ tactics.

“We have received numerous complaints about individuals posing as legitimate contacts and blocking people’s WhatsApp accounts. They then send verification codes, claiming users need to pay a re-registration fee,” Kituuma said.

After hacking the accounts, the fraudsters contact victims’ friends and groups, requesting money or spreading false information.

“They even promise fictitious winnings worth millions, tricking victims into sending more money,” Kituuma added.

Financial crimes, emerging threats

The EAPCCO region is also grappling with financial crimes, including CEO fraud, also known as Business Email Compromise (BEC), and other social engineering scams.

These schemes often target companies by impersonating executives to defraud employees or customers.

The increase in money laundering was highlighted as a critical concern since it fuels organized criminal enterprises. Authorities stressed the need for robust anti-money laundering mechanisms and collaboration with Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) to detect and report suspicious financial activities.

INTERPOL and European Union-funded projects, such as the EU-AML/CFT and EU-AML/THB, have been instrumental in building the capacity of EAPCCO member countries to counter financial crimes.