Namacunde - The Prosecutor of the municipality of Namacunde, Cunene Province, João Londa, on Friday encouraged the population to cooperate more in denouncing those who facilitate the smuggling of fuel for illegal sale in neighboring Namibia.

During a talk on "fuel smuggling" for the population of the Santa Clara border area, the magistrate said that the fight against this practice is only possible if those involved report it.

The magistrate encouraged the inhabitants of Namacunde to collaborate and, if they identify people who facilitate the smuggling of petroleum products, to alert the authorities so that the appropriate measures can be taken.

He emphasized that the fight against the smuggling of petroleum products must involve everyone, with special emphasis on the residents of the border area, in a joint action with the police authorities and other defense and security agencies.

"The only people authorized to transport and sell gasoline or diesel are those duly licensed by Sonangol (State oil company). Outside of that, those who do so are on the edge of illegality," he said.

The lecture is part of the commemoration of Legality Week, as part of the 46th anniversary of the Attorney General's Office, which will be celebrated on April 27.

 Cunene province shares a 460-kilometer border with the Republic of Namibia, 340 kilometers of which are by land and 120 kilometers by river.

Angola has criminalized the practice through a law approved by the National Assembly that increases the prison sentence to 12 years for anyone who imports, exports, transports, conceals or removes petroleum products.

The purpose of the law is to criminalize the smuggling of petroleum products and related crimes in order to make the respective offenders criminally liable.

It covers the smuggling of all petroleum products in the national territory and applies to all natural and legal persons who commit crimes under the current law, and also introduces rapid mechanisms for declaring the loss of instruments, products and benefits of the crime in favor of the State. PEM/LHE/IZ/TED/AMP