Cocaine woman had three passports
Jun 08, 2010
THE immigration department has established that the Ugandan woman, who was arrested in Kenya allegedly trafficking narcotics, had obtained three passports.
By Conan Businge,
Patrick Jaramogi
and Reuben Olita
THE immigration department has established that the Ugandan woman, who was arrested in Kenya allegedly trafficking narcotics, had obtained three passports.
The immigration department’s spokesperson, Eunice Kisembo, said the passports were obtained in Uganda over four years.
Anne Birungi Bisaso was allegedly nabbed carrying 21kg of cocaine in bags bearing UN logos dubbed “diplomat bagsâ€.
But the Police says the woman, who was arrested with a passport identifying her as Anne Birungi Bisaso, is actually Gillian Kiconco.
Addressing the press at her office in Kampala yesterday, Kisembo said Kiconco obtained the first passport in 2002.
She later reported to the Police that her passport had got lost, and it was replaced with another one in 2003.
The Police said in 2007, they arrested Kiconco and confiscated the passport she got in 2003 when she was caught with narcotics at Entebbe Airport.
The chief of the joint security operations at the airport, Herman Owomugisha, said Kiconco was arrested when she went to receive her sister who was returning from China.
Her sister was reportedly found with over $30,000 (sh600m). When she was interrogated, she confessed that she had just taken drugs to China.
But Kisembo yesterday said the Police did not inform the immigration department about the arrest.
Records at the immigration department show that Kiconco obtained a third passport in 2006, under the name Anne Birungi Bisaso.
“Since we did not have information from the Police pinning Kiconco, she managed to evade the process and acquire another passport by falsifying her identity,†Kisembo explained.
She added that the immigration department does not have biometric software to track false identities.
“Since she had changed her names, it was hard for us to know that she already had a passport,†she added.
Kisembo said the Uganda Citizen and Immigration Board will seize and cancel Kiconco’s passport.
“We are going to put her photos at all border points in the country.â€
She added that Kiconco will face charges of false declaration and uttering of false documents when she is deported to Uganda.
Meanwhile, a Kenyan court will today hear Kiconco’s bail application.
Kibera Senior Principal Magistrate Grace Nzioka will hear an affidavit from investigating officer Mary Chepkorir and decide whether Kiconco should be granted bail or not.
Kiconco was arraigned in court on Monday and remanded in Kibera Prisons to give prosecution and her lawyers time to prepare for the court process.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Development Programme has disowned Bisaso as their employee.
The deputy country director of operations, Thomas Ole-Kuyan, said the Ugandan woman does not work for the agency.
“We don’t have any records of the person who claims to be our employee,†Ole-Kuyan said in a statement on Monday.
“As a development-focused agency, we know the negative impact the drugs and drug cartels are having on human development. We thank the authorities for arresting her,†he said.
Patrick Jaramogi
and Reuben Olita
THE immigration department has established that the Ugandan woman, who was arrested in Kenya allegedly trafficking narcotics, had obtained three passports.
The immigration department’s spokesperson, Eunice Kisembo, said the passports were obtained in Uganda over four years.
Anne Birungi Bisaso was allegedly nabbed carrying 21kg of cocaine in bags bearing UN logos dubbed “diplomat bagsâ€.
But the Police says the woman, who was arrested with a passport identifying her as Anne Birungi Bisaso, is actually Gillian Kiconco.
Addressing the press at her office in Kampala yesterday, Kisembo said Kiconco obtained the first passport in 2002.
She later reported to the Police that her passport had got lost, and it was replaced with another one in 2003.
The Police said in 2007, they arrested Kiconco and confiscated the passport she got in 2003 when she was caught with narcotics at Entebbe Airport.
The chief of the joint security operations at the airport, Herman Owomugisha, said Kiconco was arrested when she went to receive her sister who was returning from China.
Her sister was reportedly found with over $30,000 (sh600m). When she was interrogated, she confessed that she had just taken drugs to China.
But Kisembo yesterday said the Police did not inform the immigration department about the arrest.
Records at the immigration department show that Kiconco obtained a third passport in 2006, under the name Anne Birungi Bisaso.
“Since we did not have information from the Police pinning Kiconco, she managed to evade the process and acquire another passport by falsifying her identity,†Kisembo explained.
She added that the immigration department does not have biometric software to track false identities.
“Since she had changed her names, it was hard for us to know that she already had a passport,†she added.
Kisembo said the Uganda Citizen and Immigration Board will seize and cancel Kiconco’s passport.
“We are going to put her photos at all border points in the country.â€
She added that Kiconco will face charges of false declaration and uttering of false documents when she is deported to Uganda.
Meanwhile, a Kenyan court will today hear Kiconco’s bail application.
Kibera Senior Principal Magistrate Grace Nzioka will hear an affidavit from investigating officer Mary Chepkorir and decide whether Kiconco should be granted bail or not.
Kiconco was arraigned in court on Monday and remanded in Kibera Prisons to give prosecution and her lawyers time to prepare for the court process.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Development Programme has disowned Bisaso as their employee.
The deputy country director of operations, Thomas Ole-Kuyan, said the Ugandan woman does not work for the agency.
“We don’t have any records of the person who claims to be our employee,†Ole-Kuyan said in a statement on Monday.
“As a development-focused agency, we know the negative impact the drugs and drug cartels are having on human development. We thank the authorities for arresting her,†he said.