Trailer Intersected With Smuggled Goods in Sierra Leone
A ten tiers trailer with registration number RC 7044 G was intercepted past Sunday 30th September, 2012 in Freetown owned by one Alhaji Piltu by officials of the Preventive Security Services Department (PSSD) of Customs a special unit of the National Revenue Authority to clamp down smugglers. (Photo: Arrested trailer at Custom House, Cline Town)
The trailer was arrested in Freetown while on the verge of off-loading used clothing transported from Guinea using the Gbalamuya Customs axis border post before arriving in Freetown.
The trailer which was arrested by the NRA, PSSD officer’s reports state produced a receipt of payment for 200 bales when in actual fact the vehicle was carrying 600 bales of used clothing.
Source close to the Gbalamuya Custom post revealed to this reporter that the owner of the vehicle in question, Alhaji Piltu is working in connivance with Customs Officers at the Gbalamuya Customs Border Post in Kambia with Customs Collector in that area, Malcolm Wilkinson who will prefer to always give preferential treatment to any vehicle owned by Piltu using the Customs Gbalamuya Axis. The report further reveals that Wilkinson has being engaged in so many cynical activities in revenue collection a situation that hindered revenue collection in that area thus depriving government from raising the required revenue needed for the running of the state.
It is understood that while the vehicle is presently held in detention at the Customs House at Cline town, the owner Alhaji Piltu is busy parading the doors of senior Customs Officials including commissioners in order to secure the release of his vehicle and the remaining goods inside. The trailer which was said to contain 600 bales of used clothing paid for just 200 bales, leaving the remaining 400 bales unpaid for.
Commissioner of Customs at Cline town, Santigie Kamara refused to comment on the matter when contacted but confirmed seeing the arrested vehicle within the compound and referred journalists to see the Head of Customs Operation, Sahid Conteh who in his address said it was true that the vehicle was arrested but that they were currently going ahead with the investigation and that very soon they would come out with results.
By A. R. Bedor Kamara
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