A fraudulent plan offering lucrative job opportunities in Israel has resulted in the loss of Shs 22 million per person for at least 43 Ugandans who fell victim to an Israel jobs recruitment scam. This has left several Ugandans in tears after being promised fake jobs in Israel. Jackline Mbulateire and Andrew Sekimuli, two Ugandans, are said to have planned the heist on these innocent Ugandans. It’s estimated that they conned about Shs 943 million from these innocent victims.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs revealed that Mbulateire and Sekimuli operated a fictitious internet travel agency called Akia Guest Tours Limited, which advertised positions with the Israeli government and other European nations under false pretenses.
Despite the company’s claims to be based out of Lubaga Cathedral, crime intelligence agents have not been able to find its whereabouts. Both covert and overt personnel have searched extensively but have not been able to identify the building that houses Akia Guest Tours Ltd.
According to Ministry of Internal Affairs spokesman Simon Peter Mundeyi, security services launched a manhunt for Mbulateire and Sekimuli after the victims who had been scammed in this fake Israel Jobs deal came to the ministry for assistance.
“These people were promised lucrative jobs in Israel where they would earn Shs22 million every month. To secure the jobs, the fraudsters demanded Shs 22 million from each victim and then disappeared. We have tried to search for these premises, but they are nowhere to be seen at Lubaga Cathedral,” Mundeyi stated.
According to investigations, Mbulateire was listed as the manager of Akia Guest Tours Ltd. and Sekimuli as a co-founder. Information indicates that Sekimuli may have just applied for a US visa with the intention of leaving the nation.
“We have circulated Sekimuli and Jackie’s pictures in every system to ensure their arrest and prevent them from escaping justice. We are actively searching for them and have alerted our teams to be on high alert,” security officials indicated.
The continuing battle in Gaza, where Israel has escalated military operations against Hamas since October 7, 2023, is coinciding with this hoax. Scammers have taken advantage of the situation by fabricating job postings for young, physically fit people looking to be recruited as fighters.
They have asserted that there is a strong need for experts in fields like medicine, engineering, and information technology. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, similar fraudulent schemes surfaced, and some Ugandans were also duped at that time.
