Ministry seizes Contraband Goods worth Nearly 2bln birr within Six-month

ADDIS ABEBA – More than 1.98 billion birr worth of contraband items have been seized in the first half of the current 2020/21 budget year, sad ministry of revenue.

The ministry, in a statement issued today, said more than 1.6 birr worth goods and foreign currency were seized while they smuggled into the country. Most of these items are vehicles, new clothing and electronics.

Officials also estimated items and currencies captured while leaving the country to be 379,632,084 birr. Apart from currencies, drugs and minerals are among those items intercepted by security officials.

The contraband items were seized at 14 customs branches installed across the country, officials said.

The ministry’s customs branches in Hawassa, Jigjiga and Dire Dawa managed to capture the majority of contraband goods coming into the nation, the statement said.

Branches in Moyale, Addis Ababa international bole airport and Hawassa also seized most of the items that were leaving the country.

Officials believe more could be done to tackle capital flight and prevailing contraband trade. The Ministry of Revenue said each individual can play a “crucial part in preventing the illegal trade”.