Seven Foreign Nationals Arrested for Swindling Nigerian Businessman in $70,000 Fake Gold Deal

Ugandan authorities have arrested seven foreign nationals — four from the Democratic Republic of Congo and three from Uganda — for allegedly defrauding a Nigerian businessman of $70,000 in a fake gold transaction.

The suspects, identified as Paluku Kisasi, Safari Akonkwa, Isaac Mpende, Abdul Madjid Kahirima, Mabwongo Prince, Kajjubi Tevin Kyome, and Tibasiima Barbra (alias Katushabe Sharon), were apprehended by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SH-ACU) in collaboration with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID).

According to SH-ACU senior officer **Bamwiine Muhorozi**, the group posed as representatives of **Legacy Refinery Limited** and **Emerod Agency Limited**, claiming they could supply seven kilograms of gold to Nigerian businessman **Mark Gbillah**.

“They were arrested during a controlled meeting we arranged with the victim, just before they could extort more money,” Muhorozi told reporters on Tuesday.

A search at the suspects’ apartment in Kampala’s Muyenga suburb uncovered **150 kilograms of counterfeit gold bars and fake gold nuggets**, allegedly used to trick investors.

The incident adds to a growing list of gold scams in East Africa. Earlier this year, a Turkish investor lost **\$150,000** in a similar scheme, while in 2024, another businessman was defrauded of **\$105,000** over a bogus 20-kilogram gold deal. Between early 2021 and March 2022, fake gold syndicates reportedly swindled investors in Uganda and Kenya out of more than **\$25 million**.

Muhorozi called the case “significant” because the suspects were caught in the act. He urged potential investors to verify all mineral transactions with authorities and report any suspicious activity immediately.

The suspects are expected to be charged in court in the coming days.