By Annet Nantongo
In an operation recently, the Jinja Enforcement Unit intercepted a suspicious ambulance ferrying smuggled Kitenge fabrics under the guise of carrying a patient for medical care.
The vehicle, registered under UBA911M was caught with 700 pieces of cotton Kitenge and 388 pieces of head beanies in a well-orchestrated ploy that exploits an ambulance’s privileges to smuggle contraband.
URA enforcement officers used intelligence and tracked the ambulance. The driver attempted to evade detection by diverting from the usual routes, taking the Tororo-Namutumba-Iganga road.
With blaring sirens, the car drove into the checkpoint in Jinja where officers flagged it down for inspection, prompting the visibly shaken driver to claim they were transporting a critically ill patient for further treatment. However, when instructed to park for a thorough search, the driver grew increasingly agitated and eventually confessed to wrongdoing, pleading for leniency as the vehicle and the goods were impounded for further offence management.
The Jinja Check-point has actively wedged a war against smugglers from the Eastern route who attempt to infiltrate the Kampala market with their loot.
At the end of March this year, the Jinja enforcement team again coordinated information about illegal movement of used electronic gadgets, particularly smartphones, into the country. Intelligence reports indicated that smugglers had been exploiting loopholes in border controls and later on hiring vehicles to distribute these devices across the country, including along the Eastern route.
Acting swiftly on a tip-off, the team intercepted suspects that were enroute to Mbale to distribute smuggled phones. The team quickly camped at the police checkpoint near the bridge where the targeted vehicle was successfully impounded.
Upon inspection, a bag was discovered in the rare seat of the vehicle and a thorough search revealed 188 pieces of assorted used smartphones, all undocumented.
In a separate operation, the team intercepted a taxi passenger with 110 used smartphones hidden in a small bag. The bag owner, identified as Eric Noyonkuru, couldn’t explain the origin of his package which raised suspicion as some of the phones incessantly rang during questioning.
Another undocumented 20 Ling Long tyres were uncovered by the enforcement team in another operation. They consisted of 10 pieces of 8.25 R16LT and 10 pieces of 9.5 R17.5.
“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,” noted Desmond Lumago, a URA enforcement official from Jinja city.
