By Joshua Niyonshima
In a series of successful operations, the Malaba enforcement team has made significant strides in curbing the smuggling of textiles.
On the evening of January 24, 2025, the team intercepted a Toyota Ipsum vehicle loaded with smuggled fabric material, which had been transported from Kenya through the Busia border and was headed to Mbale city.
The interception was the result of credible intelligence. The vehicle, which had been trailed by an informer from Busia through Tiira and the Tororo-Jinja highway, was ambushed at approximately 9:20 p.m. near the police station at Iyolwa village. Within half an hour of laying the ambush, the suspected vehicle was successfully stopped and escorted to the Malaba enforcement tactical base for further investigation.
Upon verification, the vehicle was found to be carrying: 27 bundles (10 pieces each) of Anningtex Kitenge material, 25 pieces (30 meters each) of uniform material and 46 bundles/rolls (25 yards each) of polyester material.
A few days later, another tip-off led the team to a known smuggling route in Bulesa village, Buwuni, Bugiri district. The intel indicated that six bicycles carrying garments smuggled from Kenya would be passing through the area. However, the team was caught off guard when the smugglers employed a “relay baton exchange” method, transferring the goods from bicycles to motorcycles.
The enforcement team launched a pursuit through the Bulesa trading centre, ultimately intercepting two of the three motorcycles involved. The third motorcycle managed to escape. The seized goods, along with the motorcycles, were transported back to the Malaba office for further processing.
The recovered items include: 5 bales of new garments and 2 motorcycles, registered under numbers UFZ090W and KMFT904S.
These successful operations underscore URA’s efforts to combat smuggling and prevent illegal cross-border trade. The seized items will be processed, and further investigations are ongoing into the network behind these smuggling operations.
