Mayuge/Iganga — The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has intensified enforcement operations across the country as the festive season approaches, dealing a major blow to smugglers involved in illicit trade.
In a series of intelligence-led operations conducted in Mayuge District, URA enforcement teams intercepted a Subaru vehicle transporting 1,000 undeclared Samsung smartphones, marking a significant breakthrough in efforts to curb smuggling. The interception followed close surveillance and actionable intelligence, according to URA.
In a separate sting operation, officers foiled an elaborate rice-smuggling scheme in which smugglers concealed funtula consignments inside cement trucks to evade detection. Acting on reliable intelligence, a URA surveillance team kept watch over a store in Muwayo, where the rice was later loaded onto a cement truck.
The truck was intercepted in Idudi and escorted to the URA Iganga Station for a comprehensive inspection. Officers confirmed the seizure of 99 bags of Baraf rice, each weighing 25 kilograms, hidden within the vehicle.
Both the smuggled goods and the vehicles used in the illegal operations have been placed under URA custody as investigations continue, and the suspects are subjected to the required legal processes.
Commenting on the operations, Moses Wanjala, the Acting Manager of Enforcement in the Eastern Region, said URA remains resolute in protecting the economy from illicit activities. “The long arm of the law will continue to clamp down on economic saboteurs as enforcement intensifies across the region,” Wanjala said.
URA says the latest seizures underscore its commitment to safeguarding government revenue and ensuring fair trade, warning smugglers that enforcement efforts will remain heightened throughout the festive season and beyond.
