Authorities in Uganda have arrested 231 foreign nationals in an ongoing operation targeting illegal immigration and suspected cybercrime networks.
A large number of those detained 169 individuals were found living inside a single building in Kampala without valid immigration documents, officials said, as the crackdown intensified in recent days.
The group includes nationals from several countries, among them Pakistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Ghana, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Cambodia.
According to immigration officials, some of those arrested had been brought into the country under false promises of employment, only to later become involved in unlawful activities. Others are suspected of participating in online fraud schemes.
“They often enter the country posing as gospel preachers, but later engage in illegal activities,” said Simon Peter Mundeyi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The operation is part of wider government efforts to enforce immigration laws and dismantle networks believed to be behind cybercrime and human trafficking activities.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing as officials work to identify the full scope of the networks involved and determine the legal status of those detained.
