Ndeeba bichupuli gang arrested

By Angela Nyakuni

The Directorate of Crime Intelligence in close coordination with the territorial police in Katwe, conducted a raid on a criminal gang dealing in counterfeit US dollars also known as bichupuli, at Linca Hotel located in Ndeeba, Kampala District.

The task team arrested seven (7) suspects and recovered fake US dollars totaling $320,000 and a safe. The suspects have been identified as; Muliisa Robert Ivan, male adult and resident of Mpererwe; Asiimwe Hillary Mark, male adult and resident of Namasuba Kikajjo; Tukwasibwe Rosemary, a female adult and resident of Kamwenge Rugonjo; Gatete Geoffrey, male adult and resident of Kyebando Katale Zone, Tusasirwe Anitah a female adult and resident of Ndejje, Hadengho Moses a male adult and resident of Masajja A, all dealing in bichupuli.

They were thoroughly surveilled over a couple of months, for defrauding victims, by selling the fake US dollars at prices lower than the prevailing exchange rates and related multiplicity scams.

The exhibits are to be submitted for further forensic analysis at Bank of Uganda, while the suspects are being processed on charges of dealing in forged currency notes, counterfeiting and uttering counterfeit currency notes.
We would like to warn all unscrupulous business persons who engage in fake US dollars and other illicit transactions that our multi agency task teams are robust and will crack them down and bring them to justice.

“We urge the public to remain vigilant especially when approached by dealers fronting transactions that appear so lucrative,” said Police Spokesman.

Under the law, counterfeiting is a class C felony, punishable by up to 12 years in prison and/or a fine of as much as shs750,000,000.  Counterfeit money is imitation currency produced without the legal sanction of the state or government, usually in a deliberate attempt to imitate that currency and so as to deceive its recipient. Producing or using counterfeit money is a form of fraud or forgery.  It is criminal.