Two fuel refueling stations called "Tian Hai" have been closed in Caia and Sena, in Sofala province, revealed the Provincial Prosecutor's Office, quoted by STV. The pumps and several commercial establishments in the province closed their doors because there was strong evidence of money laundering.

The majority shareholder in these commercial infrastructures is a Chinese national, identified as Jiye Zhuo, who is at large.

The citizen is accused of various crimes, including falsifying documents, criminal association and environmental crimes. Jiye Zhuo was the holder of a Mozambican identity card which indicated the district of Búzi (Sofala) as his birthplace.

His bank accounts have been closed by order of the Public Prosecutor's Office.

The same process could lead to the closure of two more companies, namely one that cuts, transports and exports wood and a private security company called "Gigante Panda Segurança", in the city of Beira.

These seizures are the result of proceedings against the Chinese national and his associates.

The "Tian Hai" fuel pumps belong to the "Tiger Group" of Chinese capitals, which in November inaugurated a fuel pump in the Chalí district of KaTembe, near the Maputo-KaTembe bridge. The venture is valued at 2.4 million dollars. The group has five fuel refueling stations, three in Sofala, one in Maputo province and another in KaTembe.

The Police of the Republic of Mozambique in Beira say they are aware of the situation, and guarantee to communicate to the public details of the operations to locate the individual and the procedures for obtaining Mozambican nationality.

On one of his visits to the city of Beira in August this year, the President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi, denounced the use of fuel refueling stations in Sofala for money laundering and terrorist financing.

"There is a proliferation of fuel pumps in your province, I'm not forbidding it. But let them use legal methods. We have information about people who use these means to subsidize terrorism," said Nyusi, stressing that at the time, some of the owners of the pumps were on the run.

"Some people, owners of fuel pumps, ran away. When we went to look for them, they were gone. You have to control that. The proliferation [of businesses] yes, if it's for development. But not if it's for money laundering. Move money around, but legally," appealed the Head of State.