A truck filled with contraband cigarettes was successfully apprehended in a combined operation involving Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) personnel and law enforcement authorities today, July 28, 2023.
According to Peter Sebyoto, Team Leader, Karuma Customs, the team received intelligence about a truck that had sat on the outskirts of Gulu town for a couple of days while the smugglers sought to discover ways through the Karuma tactical check post.
“We recruited an informant within the racket who kept us updated on the smuggler’s next move, and after receiving a tip, URA officers were able to follow the truck’s movements with critical intelligence, where they meticulously planned an operation,” Sebyoto said.
The truck was intercepted at the Karuma tactical checkpoint, according to Sebyota, and the driver, who was uninformed of the URA’s intelligence, was told to park the truck within the customs fence.
Sebyoto explained that the vehicle had been entirely unloaded of the 96 cartons of Oris cigarettes (a German brand) and was being held at the URA headquarters.