Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has intensified nationwide enforcement operations, targeting an alarming rise in illegal trade activities.
Over the past three months, URA teams have intercepted thousands of kilogrammes of contraband, including rice, textiles, tyres, cooking oil, and counterfeit goods.
A surge in illicit goods
From the porous borders of Busia and Namayingo to consolidation points in Bugiri and urban warehouses in Jinja and Mbale, URA enforcement units have recorded a significant increase in the trafficking of untaxed and often substandard goods.
Rice smuggling remains the most rampant. In a single night in January 2025, enforcement officers in Busia intercepted over 500kgs of Basmati rice, 960kgs of Dunia wheat flour, and hundreds of kilograms of soap and synthetic hair products. In nearby Bugiri and Buwuni, warehouses were discovered holding over 1.7 tons of smuggled rice.
Dangerous tricks in transit
One of the most alarming trends uncovered by URA is the manipulation of customs-cleared trucks. Smugglers tamper with seals, reload trucks with undeclared cargo, and reseal them to mimic legally cleared shipments.
In one instance, a truck allegedly carrying salt was found loaded with 415 kgs of smuggled rice, textiles, and tyres.
Another truck intercepted in Jinja was found hiding three tons of rice under a cargo of iron sheets. In Namayingo, enforcement officers discovered smuggled tyres and engine oil concealed within bags of salt, following a night-long chase and sting operation.
The silent threat
Beyond food items, there’s been a surge in the smuggling of textile fabrics and counterfeit goods. In Iganga, enforcement teams intercepted over 11,000 square metres of uniform material and 6 bales of gomesi fabric.
A truck trailing from Busia was found with over 22,000 square metres of kitenge fabric and 1.6 tons of rice, estimated at UGX 87 million.
At several checkpoints and consolidation centres, counterfeit products such as Obama pens, unbranded soap, engine oil, and imported plastic footwear were seized.
These products not only pose a risk to consumers but also undermine local manufacturers and registered importers.
The Economic cost of smuggling
Smuggling distorts Uganda’s tax base, creates unfair competition for compliant businesses, and exposes the market to harmful or substandard products.
For a government working hard to expand domestic revenue and finance the national budget, illegal trade directly undercuts those efforts.
“Smugglers invest so much time and resources in monitoring our operations, which leaves us no choice but to carry out night raids and bush operations,” noted Daniel Mbangire, URA’s enforcement officer in Lwakhakha.
URA’s tactical response and challenges
URA has resorted to intelligence-led enforcement, using data to predict smuggling hotspots and the changing methods of traffickers.
From motorcycles and saloon cars to trucks with false compartments, smugglers are becoming more innovative. However, URA is adapting just as fast.
In a February 2025 bust, officers in Namayingo uncovered a truck disguising 25 pieces of smuggled tyres under cartons of soap.
In Mbale, a warehouse yielded 2,975 kilograms of parboiled rice, and in Iganga, a TATA truck supposedly transporting cement was found to be reloaded with smuggled rice mid-transit.
Public cooperation and the way forward
URA is now calling on the public and border communities to support enforcement efforts. The agency has emphasized that smuggling not only hurts the economy but endangers public safety, especially when it involves counterfeit products like engine oil, brake fluid, and low-grade textiles.
As Uganda strengthens its trade and industrialization agenda under NDP IV and Vision 2040, rooting out smuggling is no longer just about tax; it’s about securing the nation’s future.