Immigration officials held over drug traders
Jul 06, 2006
A TENSE atmosphere hung over the Immigration department head offices in Kampala yesterday after two senior officers were picked by Police detectives in connection with the release of two deported drug traffickers.
By Steven Candia
A TENSE atmosphere hung over the Immigration department head offices in Kampala yesterday after two senior officers were picked by Police detectives in connection with the release of two deported drug traffickers.
The deputy passport control officer, Chris Ongyera and Edith Irene Manyire of the investigation department were picked on Wednesday evening and detained at Jinja Road Police Station, where they were still held by press time yesterday.
Jinja Road Police Station boss John Olupot said investigations were ongoing. He declined to divulge reasons for the arrest.
“It is premature to comment but take it from me that the suspects are here and investigations are going on,†Olupot said.
Sources said the suspects recorded statements at the station. “We are processing their files and will send them to the DPP for perusal,†Olupot said.
But sources said the two were picked in connection with two drug traffickers, one of them a Cameroonian and the other a Congolese.
The suspected traffickers, one of whom sources identified as Kabeiyi Messi, the Cameroonian, were allegedly deported from Belgium to Uganda on March 15 over fake Belgium passports.
The two drug traffickers, said to be part of an international racket, had earlier entered Uganda using their bonafide passports, ostensibly to join their colleagues before leaving for Belgium.
On arrival at Entebbe Airport, the two were handed over by airport security to the immigration staff at the Ministry of Internal Affairs for more investigations.
“They had told Belgium officials that the Belgium passports in their possessions were forged in Uganda and so were deported to Uganda for more investigations into the passport forging racket and anything to do with drugs,†a source said.
The two officials allegedly freed the suspects on bond and even gave them back their fake passports.
The suspected drug traffickers have reportedly disappeared within the country.
A TENSE atmosphere hung over the Immigration department head offices in Kampala yesterday after two senior officers were picked by Police detectives in connection with the release of two deported drug traffickers.
The deputy passport control officer, Chris Ongyera and Edith Irene Manyire of the investigation department were picked on Wednesday evening and detained at Jinja Road Police Station, where they were still held by press time yesterday.
Jinja Road Police Station boss John Olupot said investigations were ongoing. He declined to divulge reasons for the arrest.
“It is premature to comment but take it from me that the suspects are here and investigations are going on,†Olupot said.
Sources said the suspects recorded statements at the station. “We are processing their files and will send them to the DPP for perusal,†Olupot said.
But sources said the two were picked in connection with two drug traffickers, one of them a Cameroonian and the other a Congolese.
The suspected traffickers, one of whom sources identified as Kabeiyi Messi, the Cameroonian, were allegedly deported from Belgium to Uganda on March 15 over fake Belgium passports.
The two drug traffickers, said to be part of an international racket, had earlier entered Uganda using their bonafide passports, ostensibly to join their colleagues before leaving for Belgium.
On arrival at Entebbe Airport, the two were handed over by airport security to the immigration staff at the Ministry of Internal Affairs for more investigations.
“They had told Belgium officials that the Belgium passports in their possessions were forged in Uganda and so were deported to Uganda for more investigations into the passport forging racket and anything to do with drugs,†a source said.
The two officials allegedly freed the suspects on bond and even gave them back their fake passports.
The suspected drug traffickers have reportedly disappeared within the country.