Mbanza Kongo – At least eight lorry drivers travelling the Luanda-Kinshasa international route and vice-versa were arrested last weekend by the National Police in the municipality of Nzeto, Zaire Province, for their alleged involvement in fuel smuggling.
Speaking to ANGOP on Sunday, the spokesman for the Provincial Command of the National Police, Intendant Luís Bernardo, explained that the arrest took place at the Loge river checkpoint, between the provinces of Zaire and Bengo.
According to him, the suspects were driving trucks with altered tanks and loaded with fuel that was to be smuggled into the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), passing through the Luvo border crossing, in the municipality of Mbanza Kongo.
He said that during the inspection operation, which took place at around 1pm, about 9,800 litres of fuel were seized, in adulterated tanks (known as step tanks) of 800 and 600 litres.
Luís Bernardo said that in recent days, the National Police in Zaire had tightened the siege on truck drivers travelling the Luanda-Cabinda-Kinshasa route and vice versa, illegally transporting diesel and petrol to the DRC.
The spokesman said that the detainees and the seized equipment will be presented to the Public Prosecutor's Office in the next few days for legal proceedings.
This is the second time in less than a month that the National Police in Zaire have seized lorries bound for the DRC with deposits of petrol and diesel.
JL/MRA/jmc
