As Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) continues to tighten their grip on smugglers to reduce cases of contraband, the tax evaders also continue to adopt sophisticated and elusive ways to sneak their products into the country.
This week, the URA enforcement unit seized a bus that had been used to conceal products and smuggle them into the country.
The Tanzanian bus Reg No T506 DHX belonging to the Moshi Luxury Coach company was seized two days ago at the Busia border entry point after URA got tipped off by an informant.
“We got information of a bus which plies Nairobi – Kampala and that it conceals goods by creating a false chamber which is filled with goods and later closed,”
James Tumwesigye the Acting Manager Enforcement at URA told journalists on Friday.
The smugglers cleverly expanded the storage compartment by creating a chamber beneath the passenger section stretching as long as the bus’ length. After loading the hidden chamber with the contraband, they again sealed it using welded metallic bodies that would appear as walls of the luggage area.
That way, unsuspecting customs officers would only inspect the passenger luggage area and clear the bus to proceed.
When the URA team received the tip off, they placed an informant to travel on the bus from Nairobi and monitor how luggage was being loaded.
“The informant gave us the exact bus and the date. On Sunday, the bus reached Busia, our officers opened the boot, removed the goods but they couldn’t find the concealed goods,” Tumwesigye said.
It was an edge of polythene protruding through one of the welded joints that was the smoking gun. Law enforcement officers then used a grinder to cut the metallic body to access what was hidden therein.
“That’s when we discovered another corridor inside the bus where they were hiding the products,” Tumwesigye revealed.
The concealed goods were mainly garments from Kenya but their monetary value has not been estimated yet.
The driver and the turn man have been arrested as investigations into the matter go on. The Manager for Moshi Luxury Coach in Uganda has also recorded a statement.
Asked what was being done by URA to counter the sophisticated approach that some of the smugglers were adopting, Tumwesigye said the latest seizure was an eye opener.
“The nature of this case is new. With buses, it has often been excess loading. This incident is an eye opener because now we know how they are doing it. We are going to keep on monitoring to see that we check these buses properly so they don’t do it again,” he said.
Customs chief warns
On Friday, URA’s Commissioner for Customs, Dicksons Kateshumbwa said that URA was not ready to allow for unfair competition which could result into a mafia-led economy. He warned people who engage in acts of smuggling and underdeclaration of goods saying this will affect the economy in the long run.
“Don’t go in the market unfairly and think about only yourself. You may be employing 2 people yet killing business for 300 people,” Kateshumbwa said.
He equally warned the media against siding with businessmen who run to the press crying foul about URA’s ‘harassment’ when these people are involved in illegal acts.
“Media attacks on URA only come because there is a clash of interests or we have stepped on someone’s toes,” Kateshumbwa told a group of online publishers at the URA Nakawa headquarters.
In a country like Uganda which is surrounded by unstable countries whose customs enforcement is ineffective, he said, enforcement of compliance must be stringent in order to guard against Uganda becoming like Nigeria where customs officers walk around with guns.
