Ten Ugandans have been remanded to a South African prison on allegations of possessing R3 million (about Shs616m) of counterfeit notes.

The group was arrested in Ermelo Gert Sibande District Municipality in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.

South African media quoted the spokesperson of the South African Prosecution Authority as saying the Ugandans first appeared in court last Friday, but the case couldn’t proceed since they didn’t have an interpreter.

They were remanded and brought back on Monday where the charges were read to them before they were returned to prison until July 19.

A South African media house, IOL, identified the Ugandans as Daniel Kamuqisha; Steven Nuwamanya; Nathan Mandela; Mzindisi Godfrey; Abaho Kanago; Amon Kwamushana; Robert Mubangisi; and Bugalga Juanes.

Daily Monitor could not independently establish whether all the suspects are Ugandan nationals as there have been several cases where foreigners acquire Ugandan travel documents and use them to commit crimes.

The South Africa Police Service (SAPS) in a statement said 11 Ugandans between the ages of 24 and 45 were arrested carrying five bags on July 4 during patrol.

“According to information, members were performing their normal duties when they noticed suspicious people carrying five bags. As a result, members stopped these individuals and then conducted a search. During this period, they discovered the fake money,” SAPS statement reads in part.

SAPS said their officers also discovered that all of the suspects did not have valid documents to be in the country. One Ugandan was released later after the investigations cleared him of any offence.

“…Hence the investigators are working in collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs to ascertain their status in the country. The suspects were charged for possession of counterfeit money as well as for contravening the Immigration Act of South Africa,” the statement stated. Provincial SAPS commissioner Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi described the arrests as a display of vigilance of his members.

“We are excited by the vigilance displayed by our members and moving at this pace, we are definitely going to bring the levels of crime to its lowest,” Maj Gen Mkhwanazi is quoted as saying.