Four arrested with fake money-making chemicals in Lira

Four suspects have been arrested at a hotel in Lira city over allegations of dealing in counterfeit currency.

The suspects have been identified as Bashir Magambo, 55, a resident of California village in Kyankende sub-county, Kiryandongo district; David Epieu, 43, from Amuria district; Emmanuel Ebulu, 46, from Kapelebyong district; and Abdu Omuria, 40, a resident of Soroti City.

The joint operation was conducted by the Uganda Police Force and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) at Agenda 501 Hotel in Lira City East Division.

Police said another individual who was initially among the group is now cooperating with investigators as an informant. A case of alleged possession of counterfeit currency has since been registered at Lira City East Division police station.

North Kyoga Regional Police spokesperson Patrick Jimmy Okema said security officers recovered suspected counterfeit Shs 50,000 notes with a face value of Shs 3 million, together with chemicals and other materials believed to have been intended for the production of counterfeit currency.

Okema said detectives documented the scene, recorded witness statements, recovered the suspected exhibits and detained the four suspects to facilitate ongoing investigations.

He added that the recovered notes and related materials would be submitted to the Bank of Uganda Currency Centre in Lira on Monday for forensic examination and analysis.

The latest arrests come just weeks after another intelligence-led operation in Ireda Shamba Cell, also in Lira City East Division, which led to the arrest of four suspects following the recovery of bundles of suspected counterfeit United States dollar notes with a face value of about $9 million (about Shs 33.75 billion).

That operation followed a tip-off that suspected counterfeit currency and related materials were being kept at the residence of an area businesswoman.

According to police, the suspected counterfeit US dollar notes were recovered from a safe at the home of a suspect identified only as Sandra. Officers also recovered several motor vehicle logbooks and additional US dollar notes in various denominations during the search.

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