The SAPS (South African Police Service) Border Police this week confiscated illegal alcohol imports to the estimated value of R1 million in Port Elizabeth.
The cargo, which was bound for Johannesburg, had not been declared and had no permit or legal paperwork for import into the country.
It arrived in one of three containers from Nigeria that were intercepted by Border Police and Customs officials at the harbour and taken to a depot in Port Elizabeth in January this year. Officials had noted irregularities with the contents after the containers were opened and examined.
Commenting on why it had taken almost three months to confiscate the liquor, SAPS Captain Sandra Janse Van Rensburg told FTW Online that checking every item was a long and time-consuming process. She also said that they wanted to give shippers and owners the opportunity to declare their goods or rectify any issues with the paperwork. However, the importer could not produce any permits and the liquor – described as beverages on the cargo manifest – was seized.
A docket has been opened in terms of the Liquor Act, but no arrests have been made and the investigation is still ongoing.
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Daff) confiscated Norwegian cod to the value of R35000 as well as fish shavings – popular in Nigeria but with no monetary value in South Africa – last month (February), according to Daff’s fisheries management branch communication director, Palesa Mokomele. Daff subsequently opened a case of import of marine products without a permit.
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