The Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation into a cartel in Kampala that has sold 22,000 Ugandan passports to criminals overseas.
According to Internal Affairs spokesperson Simon Mundeyi, the syndicate operates around Nkrumah and Dewinton Roads in Kampala City.
Mundeyi explained that the cartel buys genuine Ugandan passports from locals for Shs10 million and resells them in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for $5,000 (approx. Shs18.5 million).
Investigations suggest that at least 220,000 passports may have been sold through this scheme.
Unlike conventional passport fraud, the foreigners purchasing these passports do not use them for international travel but instead as identification documents for illicit activities, including drug trafficking.
Authorities have identified over 600 Ugandans in UAE who falsely reported their passports as lost after selling them.
“Many Ugandans sell their passports and then rush to our offices, claiming they were lost, so they can apply for replacements,” Mundeyi stated.
To curb this illegal trade, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has introduced strict measures. Ugandans reporting lost passports must now apply for replacements only at the ministry’s headquarters in Kampala.
“We are making the process more difficult so that people think twice before engaging in this fraud,” Mundeyi added.
Security agencies have arrested one suspect, who is expected to provide key leads in dismantling the passport smuggling ring.
