A senior three student from Kapeka SSS in Nakaseke District has been apprehended by the police for allegedly trafficking 170 youths. These young individuals were reportedly harbored at the residence of a 28-year-old woman in Nampunge village, Kakiri sub-county in Wakiso District.
The 17-year old student’s arrest occurred on September 18, 2023, in Kyondo, Kapeka, and he was subsequently transferred to Kakiri police division in Wakiso District.
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During the interrogation, he confessed to planning to extort money from the victims, posing as an agent of the fictitious “Humble Company” in Kenya.
Notably, there was no genuine connection with the said company, and the job advertisements for positions like waiters, waitresses, coffee packers, and supermarket attendants in Kenya were fraudulent, as stated by police spokesperson SCP Fred Enanga.
The student is expected to face 170 counts of trafficking in persons, according to Mr. Enanga.
This arrest follows the detention of the woman who had been acting as the student’s recruitment agent earlier in the month.
It was reported that at least 98 of the victims, hailing from various locations including Nansana, Kyengera, Bukomero, Butambala, Kasese, Fort Portal, and Kyegegwa, had allegedly paid varying amounts, with some giving Shs100,000 for the promised jobs while others paid Shs50,000 each.
The student purportedly acted as an agent on behalf of his sister, who was linked to the Humble Company in Nairobi, Kenya. Both male and female victims had gathered at the residence in Nampunge village, Wakiso District, anticipating transportation to Nairobi.
Local residents, alarmed by the presence of a large group of youths from diverse backgrounds who spoke different languages, tipped off security operatives. This indicated that the youths had been brought together from various regions. Consequently, the homeowner was arrested and is now facing charges related to human trafficking.
The scarcity of job opportunities in Uganda has left many youths vulnerable to employment scams. Some have lost substantial sums of money, while others have even resorted to selling their assets, including land, in pursuit of job opportunities in countries such as Canada, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea, only to find themselves victims of fraudulent schemes.
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