The Customs Department of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) has formally handed over a consignment of contraband Sir Cigarettes to the Guinean Customs authorities.
This seized consignment, comprising 15 cartons and 286 grosses of the prohibited Sir Cigarettes, was illicitly transported into Liberia through the Liberian-Guinean border point in Nimba County.
The interception and confiscation were carried out by the LRA Anti-Smuggling and Intelligence Unit (ASIU) officers stationed at the Salala Checkpoint in Bong County.
The transfer of the confiscated cigarettes took place over the weekend in the Guinean border town of Diecke. Edmond Reed, Head of the LRA Anti-Smuggling & Investigation Unit (ASIU), emphasized the inherent security and public health risks that the banned cigarettes pose to Liberia and its citizens.
This handover procedure adheres to the guidelines outlined in section 1214 of the modernized Liberian customs code of 2018, which pertains to Customs Control, Prohibitions, and Restrictions.
Additionally, this action aligns with the principles laid out in the Customs Convention on Mutual Assistance and Cooperation for the Prevention, Investigation, and Repression of Customs Offenses, as well as the Tripartite Agreement signed in November 2022, among the Customs Administrations of Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.
During the August 5th turning over ceremony, Captain Musa Camara, Senior Customs Collector at the Guinea-Liberia border in Diecke, expressed gratitude on behalf of his government and country for the collaborative efforts of the LRA Customs Department.
He commended the harmonious working relationship between the two customs authorities and urged for the perpetuation of such cooperative endeavors.
It is noteworthy that the practice of seizing and returning prohibited goods by the LRA Customs Department to the Guinean Customs Authority is a recurring procedure.
In a similar occurrence this year, the LRA Customs Department, in April, handed over a sizable haul of 278 cartons of assorted prohibited cigarettes that had been seized at the Liberian-Guinean border in Nimba County.
