Crime

URA Arrests Top Phone Smuggler in Downtown Kampala

By Wassaja Carlos

Posted on November 29, 2025

KAMPALA; The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has arrested one of Kampala’s key suspects in the illicit smartphone trade, marking a significant breakthrough in ongoing efforts to dismantle smuggling networks operating in the city’s electronics markets.

According to URA, the suspect was apprehended by Team One Enforcement during a targeted operation that intercepted a large consignment of illegally imported mobile phones. The tax body estimates that the seizure could yield more than Shs500 million in recoverable taxes and penalties upon completion of investigations.

Kampala’s bustling electronics corridor, stretching from Kampala Road to Luwum Street, has increasingly become a hotspot for suspiciously cheap smartphones. URA says the illegal trade is fuelled by disguised shipments and refurbished stolen phones that make their way into the market through elaborate smuggling chains.

Smugglers continue to deploy sophisticated concealment methods, including hiding phones in clothing bales, hollowed-out laptops, power bank casings, and other disguised containers. Some syndicates use long-distance buses as mobile storage units, while motorcycle couriers weave through traffic to evade detection. A growing tactic known as “human warehousing” involves multiple individuals each carrying small quantities of phones across borders in coordinated waves to avoid raising suspicion.

During verification of the seized consignment, URA officers recovered 4,371 mobile phones, ranging from Nokia button models to Samsung Galaxy devices.

“This arrest is a strong message. As transformational warriors, we shall not drop the baton until the phone market is cleaned of these economic saboteurs,” said Alex Murungi, one of the enforcement officers involved in the operation.

URA maintains that phone smuggling not only deprives government of critical revenue but also undermines legitimate importers and exposes consumers to substandard, counterfeit, or stolen devices lacking warranties or after-sales support.