Raids in Adjumani and Kampala have targeted alleged cybercrime and human trafficking with suspects from over a dozen countries
At least 231 illegal immigrants have been arrested in two separate intelligence-led crackdowns targeting irregular migration, the Ugandan Ministry of Internal Affairs said on Tuesday.
On Monday, in Adjumani District, officers of Uganda’s National Citizenship and Immigration Control (NCIC) detained 62 Nigerian nationals who were allegedly engaged in unauthorized activities, including the operation of a church, without work permits.
A larger raid took place overnight between April 27-28 in the Bukoto-Ntinda area of Kampala, where 169 foreign nationals, including 36 women, were caught in a single apartment complex.
According to authorities, the building functioned as a closed compound with internal facilities such as a restaurant, designed to limit movement. Inside the premises, officers reportedly seized computers and other equipment suspected of being used for online scams, illegal betting, and cyber-related fraud.
Those arrested in the operations included citizens of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Ghana, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Nepal, Indonesia, and Malaysia. A number of detainees had no form of identification.
Some individuals have claimed that they were trafficked into Uganda under false promises of employment, while others are suspected of direct involvement in cybercrime.
“All 231 individuals arrested across these two operations are currently undergoing rigorous screening and processing,” officials said, adding that “cases involving suspected cyber crime or trafficking will be handed over to law enforcement agencies for further investigation.”
Human trafficking remains a persistent issue across parts of Africa, with authorities in several countries reporting regular cross-border cases. In March, Kenyan police rescued 70 foreign nationals during a raid in Nairobi linked to a suspected trafficking operation, including 66 Ethiopians and 4 Eritreans found locked inside a house in the Ruai area. One Kenyan was arrested in relation to the case.
