Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has recovered 90 boxes of assorted wine, spirits and whiskeys from shops and bars in Busia Town.
The Busia Enforcement Team received intel from a URA partner about garages and bars which were involved in selling illicit goods, prompting an operation which unearthed consolidation centres for smuggled high-end spirits, whiskeys and wines.
The busted group was vending wines and spirits without the URA Digital Tax Stamps (DTS) in garages and bars.
A customs officer in Busia reported that they recovered 90 boxes of assorted wine, spirits and whiskeys from shops and bars in Busia Town.
The operation lasted 11 hours with support from the District Police Commander, the Officer in Charge of CID, detectives and URA staff. Some team members were also deployed at five shops and two famous clubs in Busia to monitor and curb the illicit goods.
Digital Tax Stamps were introduced on 1st November 2019 to protect compliant taxpayers (manufacturers and importers) of gazetted products from smugglers and counterfeits.
Wines, Spirits and Whisks are among the 13 product categories that are required to affix Digital Stamps.
Section 19B of the Tax Procedures Code imposes a penalty of a minimum of UGX. 50M on a taxpayer who fails to affix a tax stamp on a gazetted product.
Smuggled rice
In Namayingo district, the enforcement team seized 2.4 tons of long-grain smuggled rice.
“It is a common tradition for motorists to baptize their vehicles. This Namayingo ‘consolidator’ driving an Isuzu Elf Reg No UAV664R baptized City Boy was unlucky when his ruse was foiled by the Namayingo Enforcement team,” said the tax body on Tuesday.
“His ruse was concealing 2.4 tons of long-grain smuggled rice under the sand. He even planted a branch in the sand to seal the sale. The enforcers didn’t buy because they knew better intercepting him en route to a consolidation centre in Nankoma town council.”
The Driver jumped out of the Elf with the ignition key in hand and made for the bush. The vehicle was escorted to the Namayingo station where verification was executed.
“Offence management ensued immediately,” URA said in a statement.
