Taxi driver, conductor arrested for trafficking Eritreans into country

Police in Budaka have arrested two people including a taxi driver and the conductor for allegedly trafficking Eritreans and Ethiopians into the country.

According to the Bukedi North regional police spokesperson, ASP Immaculate Alaso, on Sunday afternoon, police led by the Budaka DPC intercept a taxi registration number UBJ 714V at Nange I village, Nangeye parish , Naboa town council in Budaka district only two find five foreigners.

“The taxi driven by Apuwae Joseph, 54, a resident of Nabuta ward, Seeta, Mukono district and his conductor identified as Ndugwa Ashiraf, 30, was intercepted while carrying three Eritreans and two Ethiopians who had illegally gained entry into the country from Malaba and were on their way to Kampala,”Alaso said.

She said the five foreigners had travelled from Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea and on interrogation, the told police they were running for safe haven in Uganda where they sought asylum owing to ongoing instabilities and conflicts in their country.

“The foreigners were brought from Kenya through Malaba on the morning of November, 27 2021 by a man only identified as Sam. He later used other hidden routes by avoiding the main road for fear of arrest until he handed them to the taxi driver to take them to Kampala to their relatives,” the Bukedi North police spokesperson said.

Alaso said the taxi had on several occasions been seen by locals carrying foreigners and that this raised concern and consequently the community alerted police leading to the arrest.

She added that whereas the taxi driver and his conductor have been charged with human trafficking, the foreigners face charges related to illegal entry into the country as investigations to arrest more suspects in the racket continue.