URA Seizes Shs5.7 Million Rice Hidden in Corn Cob Sacks

What the report says

Nile Post reported that Uganda Revenue Authority enforcement officers intercepted rice allegedly smuggled into Uganda and hidden inside sacks of corn cobs in Tororo District. The operation was carried out by the URA Malaba Enforcement team in Kaliat, Malaba, after a tip-off about suspected concealed goods. URA valued the seized consignment at Shs5.7 million.

According to the report, URA Assistant Commissioner for Corporate and Public Affairs Robert Kalumba said the smugglers placed bags of rice together with corn cobs inside larger sacks to conceal the cargo’s identity and avoid customs detection. Officers recovered 31 bags of Sana Long Grain Parboiled Rice, each weighing 25 kilogrammes, for a combined weight of 775 kilogrammes. URA said 25 bags originated from Pakistan and six from India.

URA Commissioner General John Rujoki Musinguzi praised the enforcement team and said the case showed the role of intelligence and quick response in disrupting smuggling. Nile Post reported that offence management processes are underway for those linked to the consignment, though the article did not provide names of suspects or details of any arrests.

The case matters because customs evasion can reduce tax collections and disadvantage traders who follow import rules. Nile Post noted that Uganda’s eastern border with Kenya remains a busy trade corridor where authorities frequently confront smuggling methods such as false compartments, mixed cargo, ungazetted routes and falsified documents. URA officials also warned that goods entering outside formal checks may bypass quality and safety controls.