Angola: +580,000 Liters of Fuel Seized at Borders
Representative picture Photo: Archive
October 14, 2024 Hour: 1:02 pm
The border with the DRC was where the largest number of incidents of this nature were recorded, which led to the seizure of two artisanal boats used to transport the fuel, as well as seven vehicles and 10 motorbikes, also part of the illicit trade chain.
On Monday, official sources stated that actions against fuel smuggling continue in Angola, where the National Police seized more than 580,000 liters of fuel on the borders with Zambia, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
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The spokesman for the General Command of the Police, Deputy Commissioner Mateus Rodrigues, reported that from 13 September to 3 October, the operations led to the recovery of 204,649 liters of petrol, 382,190 liters of diesel and 1,665 liters of oil, valued at 12 million 933,800 kwanzas (about 14,000 dollars).
Speaking to Journal de Angola, he explained that the product was sent to the Attorney General’s Office to comply with the legally required measures and initiate proceedings against 12 people arrested for the smuggling activity.
The border with the DRC was where the largest number of incidents of this nature were recorded, which led to the seizure of two artisanal boats used to transport the fuel, as well as seven vehicles and 10 motorbikes, also part of the illicit trade chain.
On 13 September last, the Minister of State and head of the President’s Military Household, Francisco Pereira Furtado, considered fuel smuggling to be a factor of instability in Angola.
The phenomenon is also a concern for national security, said Furtado, who addressed the issue in a meeting with members of the provincial government of Cabinda, one of the most affected regions due to its borders with the Republic of Congo and the DRC.
He explained that this problem is associated with other problems such as irregular migration, human trafficking, arms trafficking and smuggling, and illegal fishing.
Furtado highlighted in particular the insecurity surrounding oil platforms and the constraints that the phenomenon creates for companies in the sector, in addition to the risks it poses to strategic objectives installed along the Angolan maritime coast.
Fuente: The Star, Journal de Angola
