Authorities at Nakonde border in
Muchinga Province have intercepted and impounded three trucks carrying over
1000 x 50 kg bags of maize about to be smuggled to Kenya.
Muchinga Provincial Agricultural
Coordinator (PACO), Victor Mulopa, who had travelled to
Nakonde on fact finding mission, said one truck was intercepted by the Zambia
Revenue Authority (ZRA) and two by the department of agriculture in the border
town.
Dr Mulopa said initial
investigations have indicated that the three consignments, which were about to
be illegally exported, had fake documents from Serenje and Isoka districts.
He added that the transporters had
papers showing an internal transfer of maize from a satellite depot to the
holding depot and not for export.
The PACO said the government has
centralized the export of maize so as to monitor what is going out, adding that
since the documents accompanying the intercepted and seized maize indicate that
the papers were not obtained from Lusaka, this is evidence enough that the
commodity was about to be illegally exported.
According to the latest export of
maize and mealie meal procedures, a person exporting the commodity should
collect application forms from the department of Agribusiness and Marketing at
the headquarters in Lusaka.
The exporter should also obtain a
phyto-sanitary certificate from Zambia Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI)
headquarters at Mount Makulu.
Dr Mulopa warned that the law will
deal firmly with whoever shall be found wanting and his directed his officers
manning border posts to ensure no grain goes out of the country without proper
documentation.
Dr Mulopa also disclosed that a
docket has since been opened and is hopeful that the matter will be
investigated to the positive conclusion.
The three trucks are currently
parked at Nakonde police station
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