Police have launched investigations following the seizure of at least 10,000 national identity cards from foreign nationals applying for Ugandan passports at the internal affairs ministry headquarters.

The offices are located on Old Port Bell Road in Kampala.

Ministry spokesperson Simon Mundeyi said that most of the seized IDs were found with individuals who were seeking to acquire Ugandan passports.

“The demand for Ugandan passports had been on the rise, and it seemed that these foreigners had found a way to exploit a loophole,” he told a weekly security press briefing at Naguru on Monday.

Mundeyi said Ugandan passports are an attractive option for people looking to travel or settle abroad.

“In their quest to obtain these coveted passports, some unscrupulous individuals resorted to acquiring genuine national identity cards," Mundeyi told reporters.

"These [ID] cards served as a crucial piece of identification required for passport application. It is through this avenue that fraudsters managed to manipulate the system and gain easy access to the cards."

As authorities try to unravel the intricate web of deceit, some individuals have since been called in for questioning, and statements recorded.