The Uganda Revenue Authority enforcement alert unit has intercepted assorted smuggled goods at Kateta town in Serere district.
According to the URA enforcement unit, these goods don’t usually have customs clearance documents.
“The smugglers use porous points in the border districts to get them into Uganda on either foot, bicycle, or motorcycle,” stated the URA enforcement unit.
The URA enforcement unit added that smugglers bring in goods in small rations to avoid detection and later put them together to form a bigger catch, hence the term consolidation.
The team noted that Kateta town in Serere is one of the hot spots in those heavy smuggling border districts.
“Acting on intelligence, the enforcement unit searched the shops and found contraband galore in secret stores behind shops, where owners could not account for it with customs clearance documents,” said the enforcement unit.
The one-day operation is reported to have recovered 220 cartons of Pembe wheat flour and 100 cartons (10 kilogrammes) of Kibuyu bar washing soap from Kenya.
“The goods were seized and delivered to Busitema station for offence management, and the community was educated on the dangers of smuggling to the economy,” stated the URA enforcement unit.
The URA enforcement unit added that smuggling is dangerous to the economy, especially for legitimate traders who will be knocked out of the market by the next-door smugglers due to a reduction in the market price.
