KAMPALA | Police are holding Tejas Patel following his arrest on October 4, 2026, in connection with an ongoing investigation into an alleged human trafficking network linked to his cousin, Sanjiv “Sanju” Patel.
The allegations have not been proven in court, and both men maintain the presumption of innocence under the law.
Detectives are investigating allegations that Sanjiv Patel directed a trafficking operation spanning nearly 20 years, using a close circle of relatives and associates to carry out logistics and business transactions. Tejas Patel is alleged to have been part of that group. A Police Form 53 from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, seen by Watchdog Uganda, is dated September 22, 2026.
The document carries the handwritten reference “CID HQTRS R/2022/2026” and a signature dated September 28, 2026. Police have not confirmed whether the form is part of this specific investigation file.
By press time, the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) had not officially disclosed the specific charges against Tejas Patel, the station where he is being held, or whether Sanjiv Patel is currently detained, wanted, or out of the country.
The arrest comes amid a rise in complaints from families across Kampala, Wakiso, and upcountry districts regarding relatives lured overseas with false job offers and visa promises, only to have their travel documents confiscated upon arrival. Under Uganda’s Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act, recruiting or transporting individuals by deception for exploitation is a serious criminal offense, with aggravated trafficking carrying up to life imprisonment upon conviction.
Police have not specified whether the investigation involves Ugandan nationals trafficked abroad, foreign nationals moved through Uganda, or both. Authorities have also not linked the current inquiry to recent police operations rescuing victims from fraudulent labor recruitment schemes.
The post Tejas Patel arrested as police probe alleged human trafficking network tied to Sanjiv Patel appeared first on Watchdog Uganda.