Illegal export of charcoal aborted

Maputo, 29 Sep (AIM) – The Mozambican authorities on Friday seized a truck full of more than 400 sacks of charcoal at the Ressano Garcia border post before this cargo could be exported to South Africa.

There is a total ban on the export of charcoal. Cited by the independent television station STV, Arsenio Tchelene, head of inspection of the National Environmental Quality Control Agency (AQUA), pointed out that the law on forestry products of December 2023 banned all charcoal exports, regardless of the type of trees involved.

He believed the would-be exporter was well aware of the ban, which was why he had tried to transport the charcoal from Inhambane province to Ressano Garcia on a Sunday night.

“This was an attempt to use the best possible period to disguise the cargo, so that it would not be easily seen by the authorities”, he said. “But both AQUA and the customs service are paying attention, and we managed to neutralise him”.

The owner of the charcoal will now have to pay a fine of 1.3 million meticais (about 20,300 US dollars, at the current exchange rate).

The truck has a South African number plate, but the driver is a Zimbabwean citizen.

Tchelene said the customs service will now be responsible for the criminal proceedings and collecting the fine.

(AIM)

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