Police Arrest Three Over Illegal SIM Card Registration in Kampala

What the report says

Police in Kampala have arrested three suspects over allegations that they used customers’ identity documents to register and sell mobile SIM cards without permission. According to Nile Post, the arrests involved Airtel, MTN and Lyca SIM cards and were made during a joint operation by officers from Central Police Station Kampala Crime Department and Old Kampala Police Division.

The operation took place at New Park Wholesale Building in Kampala’s Central Division. Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire said the arrests followed intelligence received in late July suggesting that some people were duplicating mobile lines using National Identification Cards obtained from customers. Police also suspect passport documents may have been copied and used in similar ways.

Officers searched three shops and recovered SIM cards, fingerprint scanners, registration books and several National Identification Cards. Police said some of the recovered IDs may have been used to register multiple lines under different names. Investigators have contacted telecom companies to verify the SIM cards and determine whether the suspects were authorised agents, and they have also reached out to the National Identification and Registration Authority to confirm the owners of the ID cards.

The three suspects remain in custody while police pursue other people believed to be linked to the alleged scheme. The case highlights broader concerns about misuse of personal identification documents in SIM registration, which can contribute to fraud, identity theft and related crimes.