The Tax Authority (AT) has announced the seizure of around three thousand cases of alcoholic drinks smuggled from South Africa, valued at more than 2 million meticais. The seizure took place in a warehouse in the city of Matola, Maputo province, southern Mozambique, belonging to small stalls and grocery stores.
According to AT spokesman Fernando Tinga, the illicit activity is damaging the state by more than 2 million meticais, noting that several traders do not pay the customs duties due. He explained that the group uses various schemes to conceal goods for smuggling and that the drinks were unsealed, in violation of ministerial decree 64/2021, which requires all goods destined for Mozambique to be sealed.
The seized goods will be sent to customs warehouses for the next steps, which may include the payment of fines. Tinga said that, in the first phase, there will be no restriction of the customs process, and the final decision will be up to the court as to which measures to apply. According to AT data, the country loses more than 61 million meticais due to the smuggling of various products, especially alcoholic drinks.
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