Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) enforcement teams have uncovered a sophisticated cigarette smuggling operation in which truck operators used specially fabricated and welded compartments to conceal more than 300 cartons of cigarettes being moved across borders of Uganda.
The discovery, involving two Fuso trucks intercepted in Arua and Pakwach, has exposed the lengths to which smugglers are going to evade detection and illegally move illegal goods into the Ugandan market.
The trucks, UAX 194X and UAM 810Q, were seized together with the suspected contraband and transported to URA headquarters in Nakawa, for further examination.
In Arua, URA officers intercepted truck UAX 194X after discovering that its base had been modified with welded metal layers designed to conceal smuggled cigarettes. The hidden section had reportedly been camouflaged with wooden lemon carriers, making the alteration appear to be part of the vehicle’s normal cargo structure.
Preliminary findings indicate that the cigarettes were loaded in Ariwara, in the eastern DRC, before the truck entered Uganda.
A second interception in Pakwach revealed another elaborate concealment method as URA officers found cigarettes hidden inside a fabricated compartment welded onto truck UAM 810Q and disguised to resemble part of the vehicle’s front structure.
According to URA, the truck had reportedly travelled from South Sudan, entered Uganda through Panyamur in Arua and continued towards West Nile, using a ferry along the route.
The sophistication of the modifications became apparent when enforcement officers had to use a grinder to cut through the welded metal sections before accessing the concealed compartments.
URA’s Assistant Commissioner for Public and Corporate Affairs Robert Kalumba said the interceptions form part of intensified enforcement operations targeting smuggling, particularly through Uganda’s porous border points.
Kalumba explained that the cigarettes had originally been manufactured in Uganda for export to the Central African Republic but were allegedly being smuggled back into the country through South Sudan.
Two suspected drivers, Atiko Michael and Mutebi Bogere, were arrested and transferred to Kampala to face charges in court.
URA Commissioner General John Rujoki Musinguzi commended enforcement teams involved in the operations across different regions and called for greater public vigilance against smuggling.
He said smugglers continue to undermine the economy through revenue leakage but warned that enforcement agencies were intensifying efforts to disrupt such networks and ensure that those involved face the law and applicable penalties.
Musinguzi also encouraged members of the public to report suspected smuggling activities through URA’s whistleblowing channels, saying timely information can help enforcement teams intercept illicit consignments before they enter the market.
