The handcuffed wrists and the penalties that come with smuggling are perhaps the least of worries for smugglers especially in the Eastern region. They see smuggling as opportunity to make some extra money and grow their businesses.
However, last week, our enforcement team in Mbale did not allow the smugglers enjoy these “benefits.”
No sooner had the team received information of likely smugglers from Kapchorwa than they deployed in the surrounding areas of Sironko to net them.
“We patiently waited for our targets from midnight up to 5:30am and then we saw the vehicles move in a convoy including a Fuso Truck UBG 892K, Probox UBM 269A and an Isuzu Short Chassis UBM 170Z slope Kaserem hill towards Muyembe trading center in Bulambuli,” Luke Kivumbi, a customs officer in Mbale narrated.
These vehicles were immediately intercepted and parked at the URA office in Mbale. On verification, it was discovered that they had the following items;
244 Bags of Simba cement,30 cartons of white kingkong engine oil, 25 cartons of Total quartz engine oil, 24 motorcycles,4 boxes of motorcycle chain kits, 203 cartons of Pembe wheat flour and 20 bags of sugar.
Currently, the offences are being managed at the Mbale station.
