Aron Mushaukwa

KATIMA MULILO – Zambezi Police over the weekend ceased several illegal items, which were either smuggled into Namibia or were about to be smuggled out of Namibia into neighbouring Zambia at an ungazetted point of entry. 

The items that were confiscated include eight 30 litres of fuel, two 25 litres of fuel, four five litres of fuel and one 10 litre of fuel, as well as 70 empty containers. 

Other items include two second-hand car radiators, three canoes, three bicycles, alcoholic beverages, boxes of cigarettes, and pots as well as traditional items
like chairs, mats, knives, baskets and brooms. 

The regional police launched Operation Genesis on 28 April. The operation will run until 30 May 2023 to fight the rising crime rate in the region, particularly housebreaking.

Speaking during the media briefing, Zambezi police spokesperson Kisco Sitali, issued a stern warning, saying police in the region are hard at work to root out criminal activities. He also explained that most of the items were abandoned or the suspects ran away when they saw the police.

“We can see that there are many items that are valuable on the display that is not prohibited to be imported into Namibia – but because these people do not want to pay the duties at the borders, they go around and use ungazetted points of entry. 

“They are losing their valuable items; maybe they could just be charged small amounts at the border when they enter with those items. We urge our community to use gazetted points of entry and also approach the officials at the border on the items that they want to bring into the country to avoid this type of loss,” stated Sitali.

He also explained that the items that were ceased would be booked in the relevant registers. 

Thereafter, the officials in charge of the station will decide on the way forward, further explaining that procedurally, some goods will be forfeited to the state and will be sold on auction. The prohibited items that cannot be sold on auction will be destroyed.