Uganda authorities seize 3.2 tonnes of Kenyan rice hidden in cement truck
The operation followed a tip-off that led enforcement officers to stop the vehicle, where they discovered 3.2 tonnes of rice concealed behind a layer of cement bags.
Ugandan authorities have foiled an attempt to smuggle more than three tonnes of Kenyan rice into the country after discovering the cargo hidden inside a cement truck along the Tororo–Jinja route.
The operation followed a tip-off that led enforcement officers to stop the vehicle, where they discovered 3.2 tonnes of rice concealed behind a layer of cement bags.
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According to the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), the consignment was destined for Kampala after crossing into Uganda through the Malaba border.
Stretching over 800 kilometres, the eastern border between Uganda and Kenya is difficult for authorities to monitor, allowing smugglers to take advantage and bring in goods across the porous border.
"The Malaba enforcement team intercepted a substantial consignment of smuggled rice during a targeted operation after receiving information indicating that smugglers intended to transport rice from Kenya into Uganda through porous border points," said URA in a statement on X.
"The truck was intercepted on the Tororo–Busitema road with a consignment including 130 bags (25kg each) of Baraf rice, two cartons (40kg each) of Mohmood rice, and one carton (40kg) of Hilal rice. The rice, which was being transported in a Sino truck, has since been seized as evidence."
According to Moses Wanjala Owino, the officer in charge of enforcement at the Malaba border, smugglers are increasingly resorting to risky concealment methods as enforcement tightens across the region.
"This disparate effort of method by the smugglers has been caused by our heightened intelligence across the region by a team of enforcement,” he said, according to The Monitor.
Further, the URA official warned that hiding food items in cement poses serious health risks, noting that chemicals in cement are linked to lung cancer. He added that the seized rice would be handed over to the Uganda National Bureau of Standards for testing to determine whether it is safe for consumption.
"We want to call upon the traders to always buy rice and other consumables from genuine suppliers who clear their goods through the normal URA channels because some of the rice that you purchase from unknown traders is not good for human consumption,” he said.
Owino added that Uganda will continue intensifying border surveillance to prevent illegal goods from entering the country, stressing that smuggling undermines fair trade and disrupts market stability.
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