Police Intercept Contraband Items worth 180 Million Birr

ADDIS ABABA – Customs police intercepted contraband goods and foreign currencies worth over 108.2 million birr last week, authorities said today.

In its report today, the Ethiopian Customs Commission announced most of the illegal items were intercepted while they were smuggled into the country.

Authorities put their total estimated value at 99.4 million birr.

Custom police also prevented 8.8 million birr worth of goods from leaving the nation illegally during the week-long operation against illicit trade.

ECC’s branches located at Dire Dawa and Addis Ababa bole airport were able to capture most of the contraband goods valued at 36.2 million birr and 16.3 million birr, respectively.

About 10.3 million birr worth of illegal items were also seized at Jigjiga customs branch in the same period.

Clothes, petrol, livestock, medicine, cars, cosmetics, narcotic drugs, weapons, coffee, khat, and currencies of various foreign countries are among the items seized.