Despite the taxman nooze, smugglers continue to hatch tricks. Last week , the customs team in Jinja was tipped on a canter registration number UBH257J which had been loaded with smuggled goods to Kampala.
Since URA has intensified intelligence guided operations, a team was immediately deployed to beat their “intelligence”.
“Our team swung into action fearing possible offloading before crossing the Nile bridge. Our move was successful, we intercepted the car and escorted it to our base,” Philip Ofubo, a customs officer in Jinja said.
At the station, during verification, 3.5 tonnes of rice, 8 cartons of engine oil,10 pieces of new Ling long tyres were discovered concealed in garbage.
According to Godson Mwesigye, the Manager Enforcement Operations, the smugglers are killing Uganda’s economy by not paying the rightful taxes and are also frustrating the goal of government to supply services needed for the population.
He added that URA will continue to educate the public on the dangers of smuggling to an individual, the community and the economy to ensure the vice is wiped out.
