Cunene: Angolan Border Guard Police in Cunene province thwarted 1,400 violation attempts along the Namibian border during this year's first quarter, reflecting a decrease of 1,022 incidents compared to the previous period. The director of the Institutional Communication and Press Department of the National Police in Cunene, Chief Superintendent Lusa Sacalumbo, disclosed the information to ANGOP. Of the violations recorded, 724 were failed exits and 676 were failed entries.
According to Angola Press News Agency, Chief Superintendent Lusa Sacalumbo clarified that of the infractions, 6 involved vehicles, 15 involved motorcycles, and 1,376 occurred on foot, with the highest incidence at border guard posts 7, 9, 14, 19, and 22, under the Calueque and Okatale subunits. The infractions led to the apprehension of 13,757 violators, 4 of whom were foreign nationals, including two Namibians, one Nigerian, and an Ethiopian.
The violations consisted of 1,369 tax evasion offenses, 22 fuel smuggling offenses, four illegal immigration offenses, 4 whisky smuggling offenses, and one cannabis sativa (marijuana) trafficking offense. Additionally, the Customs and Tax Police registered 42 infractions, a decrease of 32 cases, including 26 for smuggling, 10 tax offenses, three import smuggling, one export smuggling, and two other types of infractions.
During the same period, authorities seized 12,404 liters of gasoline and 3,905 liters of diesel due to attempted smuggling of petroleum products. The fuel resulted from 63 crimes linked to illegal trafficking, with 42 presumed perpetrators detained. The infractions also led to the seizure of several goods, including 16 vehicles, 15 motorcycles, household appliances, food products, beverages, cosmetics, and other items from the neighboring Republic of Namibia.
The seized items were handed over to the Santa Clara Customs Office and the Criminal Investigation Service (SIC) for due processing. The province of Cunene shares a 460-kilometer border with the Republic of Namibia, with 340 kilometers of land borders and 120 kilometers of river boundaries.
Source: Angola Press News Agency
