URA SMOKES OUT CIGARETTE SMUGGLING DEN! Fuso Trucks Welded Up to Hide 300+ Cartons
At URA Headquarters in Nakawa, Assistant Commissioner for Public and Corporate Affairs Robert Kalumba presented two suspected drivers, Atiko Michael and Mutebi Bogere, who had been apprehended and transferred to Kampala to face charges in court
Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) enforcement officers have busted a sophisticated cigarette smuggling racket in which Fuso trucks were allegedly modified with welded metal compartments to conceal more than 300 cartons of cigarettes.
Two trucks, registration numbers UAX 194X and UAM 810Q, have been impounded together with the contraband and taken to URA Headquarters in Nakawa for further examination as investigators move to unravel the full extent of the operation.
The first truck was intercepted in Arua, where officers discovered cartons of cigarettes hidden beneath layers of welded metal at the base of the vehicle.
The smugglers had gone a step further, disguising the modified section with wooden lemon carriers so that the compartment appeared to be part of the truck’s ordinary carrier.
Preliminary findings indicate that the cigarettes had been loaded in Ariwara, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), before being transported towards Uganda.
In a separate operation in Pakwach, URA officers intercepted another Fuso, UAM 810Q, and uncovered more cartons of cigarettes concealed inside a fabricated compartment welded onto the truck.
The compartment had reportedly been designed to look like part of the vehicle’s front structure, making the contraband difficult to detect during routine checks.
According to URA, the truck was travelling from South Sudan, entering Uganda through Panyamur in Arua, before proceeding towards West Nile using a ferry.
The extent of the concealment only became apparent when enforcement officers had to deploy a grinder to cut through the welded metal and gain access to the hidden cargo.
At URA Headquarters in Nakawa, Assistant Commissioner for Public and Corporate Affairs Robert Kalumba presented two suspected drivers, Atiko Michael and Mutebi Bogere, who had been apprehended and transferred to Kampala to face charges in court.
Kalumba said the interceptions formed part of intensified enforcement operations targeting smuggling, particularly through porous entry points.
He revealed that the cigarettes had actually been manufactured in Uganda for export to the Central African Republic (CAR), but were allegedly being smuggled back into the country through South Sudan.
“This operation is part of the intensified enforcement against smuggling, particularly through porous entry points,” Kalumba said.
URA Commissioner General John R. Musinguzi meanwhile issued a stern warning to smugglers, saying the illegal trade continues to suffocate the economy through revenue leakages.
Musinguzi commended enforcement teams operating across the country and urged the public to develop zero tolerance for smuggling and other forms of illicit trade.
“Smugglers have continued to suffocate our economy but each day our enforcement team are cracking them down. They will face the law and pay the penalties,” he said.
The URA boss also called on members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspected smuggling through the authority’s whistleblowing channels.
He said timely information from the public remains critical in helping enforcement teams identify concealed consignments and disrupt networks exploiting Uganda’s porous borders.
The latest interceptions highlight the increasingly sophisticated methods being employed by smugglers, who are now modifying commercial vehicles with hidden compartments designed to defeat conventional inspection.
For URA, however, the challenge is to stay a step ahead of the smugglers as the revenue body intensifies operations along Uganda’s borders and transport corridors.
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