Mozambique's Tax Authority (AT) has seized 752 cartons of cigarettes on the smuggling route across the Ponta d'Ouro border, in Maputo province, between Mozambique and neighboring South Africa.

With the seizure of this merchandise, valued at 10.5 million meticais, the Mozambican state will be able to collect around five million in duties, not including the fines that will have to be imposed for attempting to evade tax.

In a publication by AIMThe AT spokesman, Fernando Tinga, said that the goods were in the container of a truck with a load capacity of around 30 tons intended for transporting bananas, which is why the cigarettes were camouflaged in fruit packaging boxes.

"Once we've counted them, we arrive at 752 cartons of cigarettes (...) with each carton containing 20 packets and each packet containing 50 cigarettes," said Tinga, who was speaking during the presentation of the cigarettes.

The cigarettes were seized last Friday (25) and belong to a Mozambican citizen who, for the time being, according to the AT spokesman, is giving a statement to the authorities.

Overall, in statistical terms, the AT says it has made 728 seizures nationwide since January, of which 494 were the result of smuggling, 132 for transgressions, and other non-specific seizures.

(Photo DR)