By Kamugisha Kabahweza Allan
Uganda Revenue Authority customs officials have impounded 800kgs of sugar which had been smuggled into Uganda through porous border points in Mutukula.
Moses Ankunda, URA in charge enforcement explained that they got information from informants about the re-bagging of Kagera sugar made in Tanzania into other bags including posho bags.
“Owing to its lower prices, it’s a common practice for smugglers to re-bag Kagera sugar into Ugandan empty bags to disguise it. We have also found Sugar re-bagged in posho sacks severally. But our intelligence fillers are ever alert and ready to share timely info as all those forgeries unfold,” said Ankunda.
The sugar is always re-bagged in Lugazi, Kakira and Kaliro sugar bags.
He said that the smuggler had successfully crossed the border with the re-bagged sugar and stored it in a home used as a consolidation centre in Kasanvu, Kyotera District.
“He chose a store that was a little way off the main road beyond an ordinary reveller’s sight but he still remained in the full ambit of our intelligence networks,” noted the URA enforcement in-charge.
Searching the residence on Saturday, the URA officers also found 23 cartons of Santa Lucia Spaghetti and two cartons of Vestline & Afrocare petroleum jelly all made in Tanzania.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, URA officers in Bugango Sector impounded a motor vehicle registration UAQ 183S Toyota Ipsum carrying smuggled polyester fabrics and sugar.
One of the URA officers said that they trailed the rogue Ipsum close to Rakai town where they put out action the driver of the vehicle who posed as a mechanic before escaping into vicinity.
Upon verification, they found 100 rolls of 25 yards of polyester fabric material made in China and three bags of 25kgs of Kagera sugar.
In both cases, offence management is ongoing.
