Kampala, Uganda | Security agencies have dismantled what authorities described as a sophisticated international drug trafficking and document fraud syndicate operating in Kampala, following an intelligence-led operation coordinated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
In a public statement issued on Tuesday through the National Citizenship and Immigration Control (NCIC), the ministry said the operation uncovered a racket allegedly involved in large-scale illicit drug dealing, impersonation, and forgery involving both Ugandan and foreign nationals.
The ministry identified the alleged mastermind as Mr Mugisha Keith King, a resident of Nsasa Cell in Kira Municipality and proprietor of Keith King Group of Companies, which security agencies described as largely consisting of shell companies.
According to the statement signed by the Ministry spokesperson, Simon Peter Mundeyi, investigations revealed that Mugisha had previously been arrested in 2010 at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi after he was found with cocaine allegedly shipped from Brazil. Authorities said he later served a 12-year prison sentence in Kenya and remains internationally wanted.
Security agencies further alleged that the suspect possessed multiple passports and identity documents from several countries, including Seychelles, Eswatini, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Kenya, and Nigeria, in addition to his Ugandan passport.
Investigators also accused the suspect of impersonating security and government officials by using luxury vehicles fitted with illegal sirens and wearing military uniforms to evade security checks. Authorities added that he allegedly disguised himself as an official from the Office of the President and at times posed as a diplomat, with a signpost reportedly mounted at his residence reading “Ambassador’s Residence.”
The ministry further disclosed that the suspect’s spouse, identified as Ms Ikemefuna Winner Chekwubechukwu, a Nigerian national, allegedly fraudulently acquired a Ugandan National Identification Card under the name Mugisha Winner Chekwubechukwu with the suspect’s assistance. Authorities said she is currently on the run in Brazil.
Two Nigerian nationals identified as Ikemefuna Testimony Udo and Ikemefuna Annointing are currently in custody in connection with the investigations, while efforts to track down more suspects are ongoing in collaboration with international security agencies.
During searches conducted at the suspect’s residence and business premises, security operatives reportedly recovered a gun, pistol, live ammunition, multiple passports and identity cards, military attire, walkie-talkies, a satellite phone, and forged headed papers bearing the President’s Office and other company identities.
The ministry said a comprehensive review of the immigration status of all foreign nationals linked to the racket is underway.
Authorities urged the public to remain vigilant and report civilians using illegal sirens, military-like attire, or engaging in suspicious drug-related activities to the nearest police station or security agency.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs reiterated Uganda’s zero-tolerance policy against drug trafficking, organized crime, and misuse of military hardware, warning that security agencies would continue intensifying operations against criminal networks operating within the country.