URA tightens grip on illegal goods in north
Nov 02, 2005
<br>THE Uganda Revenue Authority’s (URA) customs enforcement team in the north has intensified operations to crack down on illegal goods traversing the Sudan-Congo-Uganda border in West Nile.
By Frank Mugabi
THE Uganda Revenue Authority’s (URA) customs enforcement team in the north has intensified operations to crack down on illegal goods traversing the Sudan-Congo-Uganda border in West Nile.
Last week, the team seized 89 cartons of contraband Supermatch cigarettes worth sh23m and 313 cartons of Tiger Head batteries worth sh20m along the ungazetted routes on the porous border.
The customs enforcement officer in charge of the north, Stephen Kimpedde, said the “Made in Congo†branded cigarettes were impounded at Lira border township in Arua after a tip-off.
Kimpedde said the smugglers who were driving a pick-up truck registration number UAG 466L tried to turn back when they saw the URA vehicle and collided with a bodaboda carrying a passenger. The driver, identified as Tabu Yuda, escaped but two people were admitted to Arua Hospital with injuries.
He said because the cigarettes and batteries were “restricted goods,†the vehicle and cigarettes were forfeited to the State.
Kimpedde said they intercepted the consignment of Tiger Head batteries at the Koboko-Yumbe-Arua T-junction after the smugglers traversed a remote road from Ijegu in the Democratic Republic of Congo through Nebbi.
“They produced fake receipts, which could not be verified by our offices in Kampala.
“However, when we “hardened†on them, they accepted that they had got the batteries from DR Congo,†he said.
The owner of the Fuso truck with Congolese registration number SK 2849BB paid a fine of sh5m to release his vehicle. However, the batteries are still in custody at the URA stores in Arua town.
THE Uganda Revenue Authority’s (URA) customs enforcement team in the north has intensified operations to crack down on illegal goods traversing the Sudan-Congo-Uganda border in West Nile.
Last week, the team seized 89 cartons of contraband Supermatch cigarettes worth sh23m and 313 cartons of Tiger Head batteries worth sh20m along the ungazetted routes on the porous border.
The customs enforcement officer in charge of the north, Stephen Kimpedde, said the “Made in Congo†branded cigarettes were impounded at Lira border township in Arua after a tip-off.
Kimpedde said the smugglers who were driving a pick-up truck registration number UAG 466L tried to turn back when they saw the URA vehicle and collided with a bodaboda carrying a passenger. The driver, identified as Tabu Yuda, escaped but two people were admitted to Arua Hospital with injuries.
He said because the cigarettes and batteries were “restricted goods,†the vehicle and cigarettes were forfeited to the State.
Kimpedde said they intercepted the consignment of Tiger Head batteries at the Koboko-Yumbe-Arua T-junction after the smugglers traversed a remote road from Ijegu in the Democratic Republic of Congo through Nebbi.
“They produced fake receipts, which could not be verified by our offices in Kampala.
“However, when we “hardened†on them, they accepted that they had got the batteries from DR Congo,†he said.
The owner of the Fuso truck with Congolese registration number SK 2849BB paid a fine of sh5m to release his vehicle. However, the batteries are still in custody at the URA stores in Arua town.