Akinyi Winiefred
As we draw close to 30th June, departments have stepped up efforts to ensure that all revenue leakages are sealed and every penny is collected, in sight of the surplus.
Enforcement teams are the latest entrants to mission critical as with the recent heightened operations in the different regions to weed out economic saboteurs.
In Sigulu, the enforcement team impounded two boats that tried to make their way to land loaded with uncustomed goods last week. According to Maj. Denis Ben Oyoo from customs, the team received intel from their sources of boats loaded with smuggled goods coming in from Kenya.
“We carefully dispatched and established our ambush around Madwa, Majanjji waiting for the suspected boats. At around 6:40pm we received a call from our informer telling us that there was a boat hiding in the swamp. Immediately we moved, started searching and at around 7:30pm we were able to allocate the target in the swamp around Coconut beach Majanjji. Warriors then escorted them safely to the Station,” Oyoo narrated.
Before the team could start unloading the goods, they received intel of another boat coming in with smuggled goods around Sagiti. The boat was similarly intercepted and taken in for verification.
Meanwhile in Mbale, the team managed to cripple activities of various smugglers effectively impounding 3 vehicles that were being used to transport uncustomed goods.
“First, was a Toyota kibina UAL which had diverted from the normal route and used panyas to try and beat the ever attentive checkpoint but to no avail as our informers were faithfully monitoring its movements until the store where it was to offload its loot,” Customs officer Luke Kivumbi.
The team’s luck was in that week as they intercepted another car, a Toyota Noah UAW as they returned from an “unsuccessful hunt” of another Noah and later, a Canter UBN whose journey was cut short in Busembatya and it was found to be carrying 2 tons of re-bagged Kenyan rice.
In all cases, offence management ensued immediately.
