Algerian customs foil an attempt to smuggle 600 containers from the port of Annaba

Customs officers have seized 87 containers out of a total of nearly 100 ones carrying semi-finished household electrical appliances imported by a Tunisian businessman as part of investment activities after a through inspection carried out by these elements, well informed sources from the port of Annaba, eastern Algeria, have revealed.

• The inquiry has revealed that three-quarter of the total goods were not declared in a move to avoid customs’ taxes. The amount of the tax evasion was equal to the value of the goods in addition to the taxes, according to the investigators.
• The scandal broke out in the aftermath of hot tips that reached top officials of the Algerian authorities concerning malpractices, tax evasion and misstatement. In this event, the customs services have carried out on spot a thorough investigation of the containers one by one, the same sources have revealed.
• The containers belong to a Tunisian economic operator who represents a foreign trade mark here in Algeria and a factory to assemble the imported goods. The businessman has benefited from the incentives granted by the Algerian authorities as part of their economic strategy to encourage investments.
• The pseudo investor used a trade register to import part of the goods and another document for the remaining part to avoid paying taxes.
• The Algerian customs general Director has ordered the different services to tighten control over ports activities to curb the illegal transfers of hard currency abroad under cover of imports –exports operations.
• In this respect, several inquiries have been launched to investigate in different sectors of activities starting with the import of milk powder import where two companies have illegally transferred nearly $ 70 millions and 12 companies specialized in the export of non ferrous materials have transfereed $ 6 millions over a year .