Five arrested over forging documents

CRIME

KAMPALA - A group of people who are suspected to engage in forgery of a number of documents has been arrested.

The arrest was made on Monday by the directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) in collaboration with other security agencies like Police.

The group is allegedly led by Samuel Moses Opolot alias Sam Opolot and a one Raymond Kasozi.

The suspects were paraded before the press at the Ministry of Internal Affairs Tuesday afternoon.

While addressing the press, Jacob Siminyu, the directorate spokesperson, said the two are part of a group that has been fleecing investors and nationals, duping them into getting forged immigration and international documents.

"The group has been operating from an office in Room T12, 4th Floor at Muzanganda plaza on Nasser Road in Kampala," Siminyu said.

He explained that the arrests came as DCIC followed up on cases of forgeries of immigration documents like passports, inter-state passes, visa stickers, work permits, student passes, dependant passes, certificates of origins, university academic transcripts immigration stamps and seals.

Other documents include Yellow Fever certificates, Police Bond forms and UNEB Pass slips.

Among the several victims was a prospective investor brought by the said Opolot, Siminyu said.

"Having entered into the country on a genuine visa, the racket went ahead and conned the prospective investor of money amounting to $89,000 (about sh322m) claiming it was to facilitate his business registration and completing the immigration process," he explained.

Siminyu added that on his (prospective investor) way out of the country, he was arrested at Entebbe international airport with forged documents.

"The forgery was easily detected and subsequent interrogation by the Immigration Officers and other sister security agencies led to a chain of events that led to the arrests," Siminyu said.

Siminyu said investigations into the matter are yet to be completed.