Smuggled rice hidden in the chassis of a truck carrying steel rolls
Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) is using NII scanners to effectively and efficiently inspect over 1400 consignments daily, Ian M. Rumanyika, the Ag. Assistant Commissioner Public and Corporate Affairs at URA has revealed.
“The equipment detects concealed, undeclared and miss-declared goods with an ability to penetrate 300mm of steel and detect 3mm of a suspended wire,” Rumanyika says..
Recently, officers at Malaba One Stop Border Post (OSBP) singled-out a tonne of smuggled rice hidden in the chassis of a truck carrying steel rolls, as they inspected cargo using NII equipment.
With the scanner tip-off, Malaba Enforcement team swung into action, impounding the suspected truck.
“The practice of smuggling rice and wheat in truck chassis has grown into a habit for truck drivers, but the eye of the scanner is like a flood-light that exposes their agendas and protects the Government from revenue leakages,” Rumanyika says.
He adds that the use of this technology assists in deterrence of illegitimate trade while facilitating compliant clients.
“NII also protects the community at the border and the country at large from the dangers of radiation exposure by deploying Radiation Portal Monitors (RPM) to inspect every consignment for any radiation sources in imported cargo,” he says.
