The Uganda Revenue Authority Friday arrested two scammers involved in Super match cigarettes export fraud.
The two, Frank Mugisha and Muhumuza George are being charged of obtaining money by false pretense, declaration of non-existent goods, and manipulation of customs documentation and export entries to defraud investors.
According to URA’s intelligence, the two were arrested following a complaint from a Congolese businessman known as Masereka Musavuli who accused them of obtaining 36.88 million Ugx and US $15,000 by false pretense, after they allegedly pretended to be selling Super Match cigarettes from a customs warehouse at Nakawa.
Addressing the press, investigators at URA stated that Masereka was offered 15,000 cartons of “Super Match” cigarettes deal that the purported criminals claimed were warehoused at URA Headquarters Nakawa.
Frank Mugisha told Masereka that the cigarettes had been intercepted by URA en route from Kenya and offered to export them for him. Muhumuza was presented as the owner of the seized consignment.
The group took Masereka to the customs warehouse to view sacks and compared them with photos previously shared on WhatsApp. However, he was not allowed inside, Muhumuza said entry would be granted only after completion of documentation.
The taxman further says that Masereka was issued an expired Payment Reference Number (PRN 2250013706446) on 28 April 2025 for 36,880,000 Ugx. Frank then issued a new assessment (search code 70173132507654) for the same amount. Masereka arranged funds via Mumbere and paid at DT Bank, Ham Shopping Centre, Kikubo on 6 May 2025.
In the grand scam, Frank instructed Masereka to buy packing materials where he would pack his cigarettes destined to Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC via Busunga.
The statement further says that when packing was ready, Masereka hired the same truck and took it to URA Nakawa HQ to load but the loading never happened. The empty truck was weighed on the weighbridge as instructed but was then impounded at the main gate; customs held it for three weeks before release. Frank told Masereka to wait, but to date the cigarettes have never been delivered.
In addition to the 36.88 million Ugx paid, Masereka alleges that Frank defrauded him another US $15,000 claimed as facilitation fees, prompting him to report the matter to URA, and a case file (GEF 145/2025) has been opened for investigation.
