Ex-UPDF officer arrested with counterfeit US dollars

The operation was initiated following intelligence reports about a man named Nkurunugi Kenneth who had a little package containing fake black dollars worth $40,000.

According to Police, the suspect is a 36-year-old citizen of Rukungiri, Buyanjja Sub-county, Buyanjja Town Council, and a former Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) employee who retired in 2008. Further inquiry into the matter revealed that Nkurungi is currently a military trainer in Juba, South Sudan.

Nkurungi had returned to Uganda for a vacation on August 19, 2023, with plans to return to Juba on September 19, 2023, but extended his stay.

Police documents revealed that the package of counterfeit currency was intended to be transported to Juba through the Classic Bus.

It is alleged that Nkurungi was instructed to meet an unknown individual in town who would provide him with the package after being contacted by a man identified as Musa Adam, a resident of Juba, on October 12, 2023.

The exchange occurred near Total Katwe, close to BMK House, where Nkurungi received the sealed box. He proceeded with it to Namayiba Bus Terminal, where he handed it over to Classic Bus staff, particularly a person named Harriet, who acknowledged the package, and Kenneth departed.

Subsequently, Nkurungi was called back to retrieve the package, only to discover that it had been left behind. Police officers thereafter 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 $40,000.

The police said investigations are actively going on, and further details will be provided as the process progresses.