KAMPALA.Four men accused of selling “fake” MTN scratch cards are being held at Naggalama Police Station on charges of fraud.
Police reports indicate that the suspects were nabbed with forged vouchers allegedly printed from the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo and brought into Uganda from Kihihi town in Kanungu District, west of the capital Kampala.
According to police, the four-man “fake” MTN recharge cards syndicate specialises in printing fake voucher cards and robbing unsuspecting victims.
In the swoop, police recovered fake airtime recharge cards worth Shs112.5 million.
“We have arrested four and one other suspect is on the run however we are working with other security agencies to stamp out the scam,” a police statement issued on Wednesday read in part.
The suspects have been identified as Benin Biraaro, Robinson Muheki, Simon Bwambale and Isaac Akankwatsa. The four are said to have been distributing their cards by road from the border to the victims in Uganda.
Undercover police investigations responded to reports by the victims of aggravated robbery. The suspects allegedly conned victims on gunpoint without giving them the merchandise.
The arrests come at the peak of complaints of fraud and scams that involve conmen taking money from member of the public. In the past, several cases of people being cheated of money from their mobile money accounts have been reported to police.
When PML Daily contacted Mr Justina Ntabgoba-Kayemba, the senior Manager corporate Affairs at MTN Uganda, she feigned ignorance of the arrests, saying the company was trying to get more information concerning the scam. MS Ntabgoba also declined to comment on whether MTN clients have reported such cases to the company.
