Ethiopia: Jijjiga Customs Seizes 6.3m Br of “Contraband”

Jigjiga, 29 December 2009 (Somalilandpress) – Customs officials in Jijjiga reported confiscating 6.3 million Br worth of goods in the first quarter of the 2009/10 fiscal year, 5.5 million Br worth of which were inward bound.

The goods that were allegedly smuggled included electronics, spare parts, food stuffs, cosmetics, building materials, medicines, and clothes, while the outward bound goods included khat, fruits, vegetables and livestock.

“Our branch office focuses on goods that are imported and exported between Somaliland and Jijjiga and the surrounding areas,” Mengistu Mekonnen, coordinator of legal issues at the branch office of the Ethiopian Revenue and Customs Authority (ERCA) at Jijjiga told Fortune.

Over 20 people had been arrested, tried and sentenced from one year to 10 years in prison, while another five were awaiting trial, he said. The courts were now giving speedier trials for such cases than before.

Sentences can go up to a maximum of 10,000 Br in fines and 10 years in prison.

Source: Somalilandpress