A team of enforcement officers from the customs department of Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) impounded a Fuso truck in Jinja with over two tons of rice that was concealed under sugarcanes.

Customs officer Philip Ofubo explained that his team erected a checkpoint in Jinja last Wednesday night due to increased smuggling in Eastern Uganda during the festive season, and the checkpoints are fruitful as they are impounding smuggled goods.

“Last night at our checkpoint here at Jinja, we managed to impound M/V registration no. UBA 419G a Fuso which was seemingly conveying sugarcanes,” Ofubo narrated in a statement released by URA on Thursday, December 28. “But upon thorough checking, we discovered that the sugarcanes were a mere camouflage as the actual goods being conveyed were beneath the sugarcanes.”

According to the statement, the URA enforcement team also arrested the smuggler, one Fred Mutebi who confessed to buying the merchandise from Kenya and ferrying them on Boda Bodas to the Kakira sugar plantation.

Ofubo said that the smuggler hired the Fuso truck to convey the merchandise to Lugazi for sale unaware of the URA checkpoint along the route.

“When we impounded the truck, we ordered the driver to drive to our base, and upon verification, we found 2,025 Kgs of Baraf and Sana rice, four bales of Kitenge fabric, seven and a half cartons of motor vehicle tyre bonding gum, and 80kgs of used shoes,” said Ofubo.

The URA Jinja enforcement team emphasised that they are committed to ensuring 100% deterrence of any form of illicit trade in the area