Summary:

• Customs officers in Jinja, Uganda, seized a Fuso truck containing over two tons of concealed rice during a crackdown on smuggling, leading to the arrest of the smuggler, Fred Mutebi, who had purchased the goods from Kenya.

Enforcement officers from the Uganda Revenue Authority’s (URA) customs department in Jinja confiscated a Fuso truck containing over two tons of rice concealed beneath sugarcanes. The URA Jinja enforcement team reiterated their dedication to achieving a 100% deterrence of any illicit trade in the region.

Customs officer Philip Ofubo explained that his team established a checkpoint in Jinja last Wednesday night to counter increased smuggling in Eastern Uganda during the festive season. The checkpoints have proven effective in seizing smuggled goods.

“At our Jinja checkpoint last night, we impounded Fuso M/V registration no. UBA 419G, which appeared to be transporting sugarcanes,” stated Ofubo in a URA release on Thursday, December 28. “Upon thorough inspection, we discovered that the sugarcanes were merely a camouflage, concealing goods beneath.”

The statement reported that the URA enforcement team also apprehended the smuggler, Fred Mutebi, who admitted to purchasing the merchandise from Kenya and transporting them on Boda Bodas to the Kakira sugar plantation.

Ofubo revealed that the smuggler had hired the Fuso truck to transport the goods to Lugazi for sale, unaware of the URA checkpoint along the route.

“When we impounded the truck, we instructed the driver to proceed to our base. Upon verification, we found 2,025 kilograms of Baraf and Sana rice, four bales of Kitenge fabric, seven and a half cartons of motor vehicle tire bonding gum, and 80 kilograms of used shoes,” said Ofubo.

The URA Jinja enforcement team underscored their unwavering commitment to ensuring a 100% deterrence of any form of illicit trade in the area.