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The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) customs enforcement team has recently intercepted two Toyota Hiace cars, commonly known as drones, and six high-valued trucks that had fake chassis numbers. From this operation, URA expects to recover UGX 203,913,344 in taxes and penalties from the perpetrators involved in this illegal activity.
Ibrahim Bbossa, the spokesperson for URA, explained that the deceitful car dealers imported these trucks as motor vehicle spare parts and then assembled them in Kampala to create complete vehicles. They illegally assigned these newly assembled vehicles the number plates of different vehicles.
Bbossa further explained that these assemblers shipped the vehicles as units in transit to South Sudan, where they obtained South Sudanese number plates. The vehicles were then brought back to Uganda, where the South Sudanese number plates were illegally replaced with Ugandan ones. Additionally, the original chassis numbers were altered to match the registered number plates assigned to them.
In a similar operation, URA enforcement officers intercepted a Toyota Hiace with registration number UAZ646D, which had a chassis number KDH200-0044323. This chassis number actually belonged to another drone with registration number UBJ838F, part of the fleet for Front Page Hotel in Entebbe, Wakiso district. It was reported that after the UAZ646D was involved in an accident, the owner purchased a used chassis from Bwaise Accident Vehicles “Supermarket”.
However, intelligence gathering, collaborative reports, and surveillance footage from the Uganda Police Force revealed that the drone UBJ838F, whose chassis was supposedly sold to UAZ646D, was still operational and regularly traveling on the Entebbe road. Further investigation showed that neither of the drones had ever been officially registered in Uganda, despite having number plates that were previously registered.
While it is legal for a taxpayer to alter already registered details of a motor vehicle, trailer, or engineering plant—such as changing the color, seating capacity, engine, weight, or body description—these changes must be inspected and the relevant fees paid.
A chassis number is a unique identification number assigned to a specific vehicle. Altering chassis numbers is illegal and punishable by law, as it constitutes vehicle fraud and complicates tracking vehicle ownership.
According to Section 131C of the Traffic and Road Safety Act 1998 of Uganda, as amended, no one is allowed to modify the chassis of a motor vehicle, trailer, or engineering plant without prior written permission from the manufacturer of the chassis.
Bbossa advised buyers to always perform thorough background checks to verify the authenticity of the cars they are purchasing. This information is available from URA’s Customs department and the Ministry of Works and Transport’s registration and licensing department. Buyers should also insist on seeing and verifying the car’s logbook before making a purchase from a bond or car dealer.
The owners of the intercepted vehicles will be required to pay the due taxes and penalties. If they fail to do so, the trucks will be sold off in a public auction.
