Maravi

Cops impound 7 trucks carrying maize to DRC

Cops impound 7 trucks carrying maize to DRC
Written by Zumani Katasefa in Kitwe
Thursday, February 19, 2009 7:15:13 AM

POLICE in Chingola have impounded seven more trucks carrying maize destined for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) without proper documentation.
This brings the number of trucks impounded between Tuesday and Wednesday to 23.

In an interview yesterday, Chingola District commissioner Tobby Maliti said the trucks had no proper documentation permitting the transportation of maize. He said this prompted security agents to impound the trucks with Tanzanian number plates.

"The number of trucks that have been impounded have increased from 16 to 23, this is a scam and investigations are under way," he said. "This is a scam by various local companies. This is not done by one company, they are taking maize to a neighbouring country."

Maliti said the owners of the trucks were claiming that they were importing maize from Tanzania into Zambia, but he wondered why the same was being exported into the DRC.

He said the truck drivers had no certificates from Mount Makulu Research Centre to show that the seeds were tested and disease free.

"That is the danger, the maize could have diseases like large grain borer, that is the trouble. There are no signs that these trucks came from Tanzania and passed through the border. They have no complete documentation, no GRZ receipts and no transit certificates; this is why we are saying it is Zambian maize. As a country we need to safeguard against such, we need to be proactive," he said.

Maliti said some trucks were carrying about 250 by 50 kilogrammes bags of white maize. He said the truckers only had papers from Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA).

"If they were importing maize from Tanzania to DRC, they were just supposed to have transit certificates, but they never had such, so that is why we are saying it is a scam," he said.

Maliti said the trucks were currently parked opposite Chingola Central Police Station.

Labels: DRC, MAIZE

posted by MrK @ 7:13 AM