Mbanza Kongo - The Minister of Interior, Manuel Homem, announced on Saturday in Mbanza Kongo, northern Zaire province, that an investigation has been opened into the persistence of fuel smuggling at the Kanga Nguvo border post heading to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The minister made the announcement at the end of a visit to the two main border posts (Luvo and Kanga Nguvo) in the neighboring municipality with the DRC, as part of his 48-hour working visit to Zaire province.
According to the minister, the Kanga Nguvo border post is registered and classified by the national security services as being the most critical in terms of fuel smuggling into the neighboring country.
The minister said he has instructed the inspection team of the Ministry of Interior and the General Command of the National Police to set up an investigation to find out the real reasons for not closing this border post, which is considered to be the most vulnerable in the illegal crossing of considerable quantities of oil by-products to the other side of the border.
According to Manuel Homem, if the agents and officers of the corporation are allegedly involved in the trafficking of fuel to the DRC from the Kanga Nguvo border post, they will be held criminally accountable.
Reliable sources told ANGOP that the Kanga Nguvo border post only serves high-ranking figures of the country, transporting considerable quantities of fuel to the DRC in tanker trucks.
Manuel Homem, who is making his first visit to the interior of the country since being appointed minister of the Interior, expressed concern about the phenomenon that is taking place along the border perimeter, and called on the sector's bodies to redouble efforts to combat fuel smuggling.
The minister said that a range of technological resources are being installed in all the border provinces to curb cross-border crime.
Manuel Homem handed over two high-end drones with a monitoring capacity of up to 20 km to the Border Guard Police in Zaire.
DA/JL/DAN/AMP
