Baby smuggler caught by Ugandan officers

An attempt to deceive border officers failed after Ugandan officials intercepted a baby dummy used to smuggle contraband cosmetics products into the country.

According to the BBC, the dummy, which was made to look like a baby, was apparently filled with banned products and the smuggler has since been detained by the Ugandan officers.

The "baby" was intercepted aboard a bus at the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda's customs commissioner tweeted.

"Some smugglers never cease to amuse!" Dicksons Kateshumbwa said in his post

BBC revealed that cosmetics carriers earn about $1 (£0.80) per trip to bring the product across the border box-by-box or sack-by-sack.

The report added that most of the smuggled cosmetics tend to be skin-lightening creams that were banned in Uganda in 2016 because they contain mercury and hydroquinone, which some studies have linked to damaging health side-effects.

Intercepted ‘baby’ aboard a Bus from DRC at Mpondwe Border Post..turns out the ‘baby’ is a dummy containing banned Cosmetics! Some Smugglers never cease to amuse!! pic.twitter.com/lD7DU4p5M2

— Dicksons C Kateshumbwa ???????????????? (@Kateshd) January 8, 2020