Seven foreign nationals, which includes four from DR Congo and three from Uganda have been arrested in Kampala for allegedly duping a Nigerian businessman of $70,000 in a fake gold transaction.
The suspects, identified as Paluku Kisasi, Safari Akonkwa, Isaac Mpende, Abdul Madjid Kahirima, Mabwongo Prince, Kajjubi Tevin Kyome, and Tibasiima Barbra (alias Katushabe Sharon), were nabbed by Uganda’s State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SH-ACU) in collaboration with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID).
According to SH-ACU senior officer Bamwiine Muhorozi, the group posed as agents of two companies, Legacy Refinery Limited and Emerod Agency Limited, claiming they could supply seven kilograms of gold to Mr. Mark Gbillah, a Nigerian businessman.
They were arrested during a controlled meeting we arranged with the victim, just before they could extort more money, Muhorozi told journalists on Tuesday at the Unit’s office in Kampala.
A search at the suspects’ rented apartment in Muyenga uncovered 150 kilograms of fake gold bars and imitation gold nuggets, allegedly used to deceive unsuspecting investors.
This latest bust comes amid a surge in gold scams across East Africa. Earlier this year, a Turkish investor lost $150,000 in a similar scheme, while in 2024, another businessman was defrauded of $105,000 in a bogus 20kg gold deal.
Between early 2021 and March 2022, investors in Uganda and Kenya reportedly lost over $25 million to fake gold syndicates.
Muhorozi described the case as significant” because the suspects were caught in the act. He urged investors to verify all mineral transactions with the authorities and to report suspicious deals immediately.
The suspects will be charged in court in the coming days.
