KAMPALA – 80 police officers from Criminal Investigation Directorate headquarters and Kampala Metropolitan Region on Wednesday started a two-day course on fraudulent document identification and detection of imposters.
Presiding over the opening ceremony at Kibuli police training school, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Sabiiti Muzeyi urged the officers to take the course seriously and use the knowledge acquired in fighting crimes that are committed by criminals using fraudulent documents.
“In this era of globalization, where transnational organized crimes are ever on the increase, improved capacity in fraudulent document identification and detection of imposters is much needed so you have not come here to waste time. It’s very important that you are here. So, take this course seriously, concentrate, pick any skill that you can and share the knowledge that you will learn,“ Maj. Gen. Sabiiti said.
“This training will go a long way in enhancing police capacity in detection and reduction of crime. Fraudulent documents do not only concern transnational crimes, but they also affect us locally as well here. We have had fraudulent agreements, land titles and national identifications among others that facilitate criminals internally,” he added.
“I want to thank the facilitators, it’s a step in the right direction and I hope it will enrich your experience in fighting crime,” he noted.
AIGP Grace Akullo, the Director of Criminal Investigations commended the US Embassy for assistance given towards such trainings.
“We appreciate so much as Uganda police and this directorate, in particular, the assistance we have always received from the US embassy in Kampala. The partnership stretches back and still very strong. We have had a number of capacity building, thanks to the American embassy for the sessions aimed at building the capacity of detectives in the Uganda police force,” she said adding,”We have had trainings regionally where we are put together with other countries, training jointly in order to combat organized transnational crimes, which is enormous in terms of capacity building and equipment in crime handling.”
She said perpetrators of fraudulent document crimes hide their identities such that they are not identified saying a number of suspects have been arrested world over.
“Most of them are suspects of transnational crimes like drug trafficking, human trafficking, wildlife trafficking, trafficking in small arms and light weapon and terrorism. Therefore this course comes at the right time when we have to build the capacities of detectives to handle such crimes,” she noted.
The course is aimed at tipping and equipping officers with skills and knowledge in reducing and fighting crimes that are committed by people who use fraudulent documents.