By Mulengera Reporters
The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has uncovered two sophisticated cigarette smuggling operations involving Fuso trucks modified with concealed compartments to transport more than 300 cartons of cigarettes into Uganda.
The two trucks, registration numbers UAX 194X and UAM 810Q, together with the seized cigarettes, were transported to URA Headquarters in Nakawa for further examination.
In the first incident, URA enforcement officers intercepted truck UAX 194X in Arua, where cartons of cigarettes had been concealed beneath layers of welded metal at the base of the truck.
The modified section had been further disguised with wooden lemon carriers, making it appear to be an ordinary part of the truck’s cargo carrier.
Preliminary findings by the enforcement team indicate that the cigarettes had been loaded in Ariwara, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), before being transported towards Uganda.
In a separate interception in Pakwach, officers discovered more cartons of cigarettes concealed inside truck UAM 810Q. The vehicle had been fitted with a fabricated compartment welded onto the truck and disguised to look like part of its front structure.
According to URA, the truck was travelling from South Sudan, having entered Uganda through Panyamur in Arua, before proceeding towards West Nile using a ferry.
The extent of the concealment became apparent when enforcement officers were forced to use a grinder to cut through the welded metal sections and access the hidden compartments.
Addressing the media at URA Headquarters in Nakawa, the Assistant Commissioner for Public and Corporate Affairs, Robert Kalumba, said the interceptions were part of intensified enforcement operations targeting cigarette smuggling, particularly through Uganda’s porous entry points.
“This operation is part of the intensified enforcement against smuggling, particularly through porous entry points,” Kalumba said.
He explained that the cigarettes had originally been manufactured in Uganda for export to the Central African Republic (CAR) but were subsequently smuggled back into the country through South Sudan.
Two suspected drivers, Atiko Michael and Mutebi Bogere, were presented by URA and transferred to Kampala to face charges in court.
URA Commissioner General John R. Musinguzi called on Ugandans to reject and report smuggling, warning that the illegal trade continues to undermine the economy through revenue losses.
“Smugglers have continued to suffocate our economy, but each day our enforcement team is cracking them down. They will face the law and pay the penalties for this act,” Musinguzi said.
He commended URA enforcement and anti-corruption teams operating across the country and urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspected smuggling activities.
Musinguzi said timely information from the public, including through URA’s whistleblowing channels, would play a critical role in curbing revenue leakage and disrupting smuggling networks.
The latest interceptions highlight the increasingly sophisticated methods being employed by smugglers, including structural modifications to commercial vehicles designed to evade detection by enforcement officers.(For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
