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9 tons ’smuggled’ sugar impounded
2006-05-26 09:47:31
By Gideon Mwakanosya, PST, Songea
Police in Songea are holding two people for possessing nine tonnes of sugar that is suspected to be contraband.
The law enforcers are suspicious that the huge amount of sugar was smuggled from Malawi through Mbamba Bay.
Ruvuma Region’s Acting Regional Police Commander, Rajab Mohamed confirmed the two were arrested on May 18 this year at about 11.00pm in Unyoni village, Mbinga District.
The arrest followed information given by a Good Samaritan to the Mbinga OCD, saying that a lorry carrying smuggled sugar was on its way to Songea from MbambaBay.
’’We thus deployed our men at Unyoni village with precise instructions to impound the vehicle and arrested all the people in it,’’ the RPC told PST on Wednesday.
’’The two, Victor Hyera (29) and Nuru Yusuph, both residents of Songea town were arrested and the consignment, said to belong to Hurio Trading Company of Dar es Salaam, as well as the lorry with registration number T 105 AGJ were also detained’’ the Ag RPC explained.
According to the Ag RPC, the following morning an employee of TRA in Mbinga District, Remijus Lwambano went to see the Mbinga OCD claiming the consignment was legal. He also produced some documents to justify his claims.
However, when contacted, the TRA acting Regional Manager, Brighton Mkamba confirmed that police had impounded the sugar consignment but wondered why his juniors in the district had let it proceed from Mbamba Bay.
’’I have told them to present documents which they used to release the sugar. I suspect that the owners did not pay all the taxes required,’’ he explained.
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