Ondjiva – At least 95,700 liters of fuel destined for illegal sale in Namibia were seized during the first half of this year by the defense and security agencies of the southern Cunene province.
The data is part of the public security balance report that reached ANGOP on Wednesday, pointing to 68,986 liters of gasoline and 26,714 of diesel.
The source indicates that the fuel was bought at petrol stations to be smuggled into Namibian territory by nationals and Namibians, who packed it in 20, 25, 30 and 200 liter drums and other tanks in adapted vehicles.
The business is believed to be encouraged by the low prices in Angola compared to the neighboring country, where the protagonists use unauthorized routes, due to the length of the border.
In recent times, drivers have opted to alter the tanks of their vehicles in order to transport as much of the product as possible.
Figures show that a liter of fuel in Namibia is sold for 30 Namibian dollars, equivalent to 900 kwanzas.
Cunene province shares 460 kilometers of border with Namibia, of which 340 are by land and 120 by river.
Smuggling oil products carries a maximum penalty of 12 years
Law no. 5/24, on Combat against Smuggling of Petroleum Products, approved by the Angola National Assembly on April 23, decrees a minimum punishment of three years in prison and a maximum of 12 years, in the case of importing or exporting into national territory.
The law aims to criminalize the smuggling of petroleum products and related crimes, in order to make the respective offenders criminally accountable.
It covers the smuggling of any petroleum products that occur in national territory and applies to all natural and legal persons who commit crimes under the current law
The law also introduces rapid mechanisms for declaring the loss, in favor of the State, of the instruments, products and advantages of the crime. FI/LHE/IZ/TED/AMP
