BY IMMACULATE WANYENZE
John Bbale, a 37-year-old renowned “business man” in Luweero may not be your ordinary Ugandan because he has mastered the “get-rich-quick” strategy through smuggling. Bbale is a notorious smuggler who plies his trade in contraband cosmetics in Luweero.
On Saturday 9th July, his car (Toyota Hiace) UBL 725L could not match the speed of the URA Team One intelligence network. Bbale was put out of action in Wobulenzi. He was arrested and his vehicle was escorted to Nakawa Enforcement for further management.
On verification, it was discovered that Bbale had stuffed 206 cartons of contraband cosmetics ranging from Carolight cream, Cocopulp and Beaution creams weighing 1,769kgs.
According to Julius Nkwasire, the Assistant Commissioner Enforcement, all these cosmetics contain hydroquinone and mercury which are dangerous to human skin.
“The smugglers are Killing our economy by not paying the rightful taxes and are also frustrating the goal of government to supply services needed for the population,” Nkwasire said of notorious smugglers like Bbale.
For now, both cosmetics and vehicle have been seized as guided by the East African Community Management Act(EACCMA). The culprit is also behind bars pending investigations.
On the other hand, tow trucks were nabbed with smuggled rice in two different locations of Kireka and Busitema. In Kireka Team One nabbed an Isuzu truck (UBK 098K) with 6.5 tonnes of rice concealed in coffee husks. Through intensified intelligence networks, the driver was intercepted in Kireka heading to the city centre with smuggled rice.
The truck had loaded 211 different rice brands from India of; Mahmood, Sana, Nura, Baraf and Basmati Rice weighing 6,490 kgs.
The Busitema team rounded up two trucks Reg. UBC 450B and UBC 716C that were being loaded with sacks of goods in Buwuni. The intensified intelligence operations nabbed the gang of young men in action as they loaded the trucks with 80 bags of rice weighing 2,000kgs of different brands of Baraf, Sana, Capital, Sara, and Hilal basmati rice.
Just like Bbale, the truck drivers and rice owners are behind bars, the trucks, and rice have been seized pending investigation.
Ibrahim Bbossa, the URA Spokesperson noted that the bad practices where people are engaging in illicit trade and contraband products affect revenue mobilization.
“It is incumbent on us as a revenue mobiliser to work with other government agencies to take action,” Bbossa affirmed.
