Following a rigorous operation, Mozambique's tax authority, the Autoridade Tributária (AT), seized two containers full of tobacco for water pipes. The measure was prompted by the detection of tax evasion, according to information released by official sources.
Fernando Tinga, a representative of the AT, told the media in Maputo that the seized goods should have been properly declared so that tax revenue and other customs duties could be secured. However, no such declaration was made, which led to the seizure.
The intercepted consignment, which contained approximately 3,500 boxes of tobacco from South Africa, was found last week at the port of Maputo. Explaining the importance of the seizure, the AT representative said that the Mozambican State would have lost close to 26 million meticais had the goods passed through without inspection.
It was said that the declaration initially made indicated a value of close to 400,000 meticais. In reality, however, the declared value should have amounted to about 27 million meticais.
During the first quarter of this year, the Tax Authority carried out more than 500 seizures of various products throughout Mozambican territory. These operations resulted in the recovery of customs value estimated at around 120 million meticais.
