Lwakhakha is a border town located 242 kilometers east of Kampala. The border is a strategic alternative to ensure seamless cargo flow into the country, as we witnessed during the fuel crisis about a year ago when trucks were re-directed to Lwakhakha to manage the jam at Busia and Malaba One-Stop Border Posts.
The Mbale Enforcement team’s intel antenna was consistently picking up the signal that interstate buses were facilitating the smuggling of cargo, particularly textiles. The enforcement team’s tail shorted out with extra scrutiny paid to these buses.
The team’s alertness was rewarded on Thursday when they intercepted Simba Bus Reg No. KCL082A with undeclared used clothes weighing 3.5 tons (3500 kg).
The bus, on its way from Lwakhakha border station, could only present customs documents for the clearance of 98 kg (0.108027 tons) of used clothes and stoves.
The bus was delivered to the Mbale Customs station for offense management proceedings to commence. The suspects recorded statements. These were forwarded to the revenue intelligence team at the URA HQ to aid prosecution.
Used clothes remain one of the most smuggled items in Uganda.
