Police in Uganda are investigating an incident where a former soldier was nabbed with counterfeit USD40,000 dollars.

On the evening of October 12, 2023, at around 8PM, officers from Old Kampala Police Station conducted an operation at Namayiba Bus Terminal.

This operation was occasioned after they received intelligence of one Nkurunugi Kenneth, who was in possession of a small box containing counterfeit black dollars valued.

The 36-year-old suspect is a resident of Rukungiri, Buyanjja Sub-county.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that Nkurunugi is a former Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officer who retired in 2008 from the General Headquarters in Bombo.

He currently serves as a military trainer in Juba, South Sudan.

Nkurunugi is said to have returned to Uganda for a vacation on August 19, 2023, with plans to return to Juba on September 19, 2023, but extended his stay.

“He claimed that the package of counterfeit currency was intended to be transported to Juba through Classic Bus. It was alleged that he was contacted by Mr. Musa Adam, a resident of Juba, who, on October 12, 2023, instructed Kenneth to meet an unknown individual in town who would provide him with the package,”  Luke Owoyesigyire, deputy Uganda Police Spokesperson says.

Package left behind

After receiving the sealed box, the suspect proceeded to Namayiba Bus Terminal, where he handed it over to Classic Bus staff named Harriet before leaving.

However, Nkurunugi was called back by the bus company to retrieve the package, only to discover that it had been left behind. Police officers intervened, leading to his arrest.

Upon inspection, it was confirmed that the money in the box was counterfeit black dollars with a total value of USD 40,000.