By Mulengera Reporters
The Uganda Revenue Authority under the leadership of Commissioner General John Musinguzi, has intercepted a consignment of smuggled mobile phones estimated to be worth over Shs4 billion in an operation aimed at cracking down on illegal trade in the country.
According to URA officials, the phones were allegedly smuggled from China through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Kenyan before being transported through Lake Victoria to Katosi Landing Site in Mukono and later moved to the Central Business District of Kampala.
Speaking in a short video while displaying boxes of the intercepted phones, Moses Kyomuhendo, the URA Manager for Enforcement, said the authority discovered the consignment on May 8 during an enforcement operation.
Kyomuhendo explained that the quantity of phones recovered was enormous, estimating that they could fill nearly a 20-foot container. He noted that although the exact value of the phones was still being assessed, preliminary estimates indicated that the taxes due on the consignment exceeded Shs1 billion.
He identified the owner of the phones as Isma Mugoya, whom he described as a “serial smuggler” previously known to URA enforcement teams. Kyomuhendo added that three vehicles, including one registered as UAV 838E, were impounded during the operation for allegedly transporting the smuggled goods.
He further revealed that URA officers also traced and raided a store linked to the suspect where additional mobile phones were recovered. The confiscated devices reportedly included both smartphones and ordinary feature phones.
Kyomuhendo said the counting and verification exercise was still ongoing but expressed confidence that the authority would recover taxes amounting to more than Shs1 billion from the seized consignment.
Meanwhile, Robert Kalumba, the URA Public and Corporate Affairs Manager, said the tax body remains committed to eliminating smuggling networks in Uganda. He emphasized that URA would continue carrying out intelligence-led operations to protect legitimate businesses and ensure that government revenue is not lost through illegal trade activities. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
