Smugglers Turn to Company-Branded Vehicles in New Tactics

Smugglers are becoming increasingly inventive, now using company-branded vehicles to disguise their illegal activities, the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has revealed.

In a recent operation, URA’s enforcement team in Malaba intercepted an MTN MoMo-branded Probox vehicle, registration number UBL 223S, that was being used to smuggle assorted textile materials.

The vehicle, driven by Bruno Walumoli, was carrying three sacks of assorted textiles, which had been carefully concealed in the boot and disguised under the cover of a legitimate business vehicle to avoid detection.

According to URA, the interception followed a well-coordinated intelligence-led operation along the Mbale–Tororo highway.

“After roughly four hours of vigilance, the suspect’s vehicle was spotted heading to Mbale. We pursued it through Tororo town up to Nagongera, where it was finally intercepted,” narrated Jackson Nambula, one of the enforcement officers involved in the operation.

Upon inspection, the team discovered that the vehicle’s boot had been packed with the textiles, all wrapped and hidden in a way to give the impression of a routine business trip.

The vehicle has since been impounded and is being held at the URA Malaba station as investigations and offence management continue.

URA has warned that such schemes not only undermine national revenue collection but also threaten fair trade in the market.

In a statement, the authority urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious trade activities, stressing that combating smuggling is key to safeguarding Uganda’s economy from “economic saboteurs.”