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Mozambique seizes 11 containers of Malawi smuggled wood

Despite government’s move to revoke all export licences for round wood in February 2015, it appears ‘timber sharks’ have learnt new tricks or are conniving with authorities to continue smuggling the endangered wood.

Customs authorities in Mozambique have seized 11 containers of logs that were allegedly about to be exported illegally to China from the northern port of Nacala, according to a report published last Thursday in that country.

The impounded round wood in containers
The impounded round wood in containers

Malawi’s Department of Forestry director Dr. Clement Chilima in an interview yesterday confirmed that his office had just received the news about the seizure of logs in Mozambique yesterday reportedly from Malawi.

Chilima said whatever it was, that was illegal because Malawi banned such exports, but hinted that in the past there have been instances where such exports were from other countries such as Zambia but simply used Malawi routes.

The director said his office would investigate the matter from Monday to establish people connected to this illegal export, adding the seizure meant that their collaboration with their counterparts in Mozambique was working.

He said previously such illegal imports would pass through.

The media report by clubofmozambique.com quoting that country ’s independent television station, STV, did not disclose names of people in Malawi connected to this illegal export, but quoted the customs service disclosing that the wood was from Malawi.

According to the media report in Mozambique, the owners of the logs declared that the containers were full of raw cotton.

The logs, it reported, are of red sandalwood, a protected species, and the containers were transported to Nacala by rail.

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2 Comments

  1. Why are our officials failing to detect these illegal exportation of wood? It only shows people are not working in Malawi or there is a lot of corruption or both.

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