Customs confiscate 13 left-hand-drive vehicles in Beira, Mozambique

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Customs confiscate 13 left-hand-drive vehicles in Beira, Mozambique

8:52 CAT | 23 Nov 2016

Folha de Maputo (File photo) / A view of Beira city

Mozambique Customs have confiscated 13 commercial vehicles in Beira, including concrete mixers, dump trucks and an ambulance, all with left hand drive and all registered fraudulently through a corruption scheme set up by customs and local National Institute of Land Transport (INATTER) officials.

The Mercedes Bens, DAF and Nissan vehicles were imported by the company Portocargas, Lda and arrived in Beira earlier this year. They were already being used for civil construction and other activities. Nine of the 13 cars are parked in the Port of Beira, where they awaiting re-export.

Yesterday, the provincial director of Transport and Communications of Sofala, Hélcio Cânda, called a press conference to publicise the seizures, noting that the Mozambique road code, namely Decree-Law number 1/2011 of 23 March, article 117, prohibits the import of left-hand-drive vehicles for commercial purposes.

According to Cânda, Portocargas in Sofala imported the 13 vehicles at the beginning of this year, registering them fraudulently through a corruption scheme set up by three INATTER employees and two Customs officials, whose identities were not disclosed.

“INATTER and Mozambique Customs took steps to establish how these vehicles came to be registered, since the law is clear regarding the registration of this type of vehicle. At first we did not get any clarification. From the start the company stood firm, saying it had fulfilled all the legal requirements, including the payment of customs duties,” Cânda said.

He revealed that other channels of investigation were then activated with the directorates of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, INATTER and Customs of Mozambique, including the Customs Court.
“It was thereby possible to ascertain that the importation of the 13 vehicles had violated the road code,” the provincial director said, adding that his ministry and the Customs Court decided to confiscate the vehicles, cancel the registration licenses and re-export them.

“We appeal to INATTER, Mozambican Customs and others involved in import processing procedures to comply with the law,” Cânda said, indicating that disciplinary proceedings against the five officials had been initiated.
“As you can see, the vehicles were already in use since May, but it was necessary to let the judicial offices work properly to produce accurate results. As I said, it is a process that is ongoing, which means that in addition to the five employees, other employees may be involved,” Cânda said, noting that, additionally, other vehicles owned by the company may yet be confiscated.

“The removal of vehicles from the company’s premises to the port is experiencing some delays of a technical nature, but by tomorrow (today) we will have all the vehicles in the port,” Cânda assured the public.

Source: Diário de Moçambique