MBABANE – The conviction of a clearing agent in Eswatini on charges of smuggling may not be unprecedented, but it is sufficiently rare that local business people contacted by Freight News are uncertain about when it has happened before.
However, this week a Matsapha-based clearing agent was sentenced by the Mbabane High Court to two years in prison for so grossly understating the value of a cargo shipment that the judge ruled the act was the equivalent of smuggling.
On March 16, the worth of a truckload of goods from SA that were destined for an Mbabane wholesaler was declared to be R3 000 on documents prepared by the clearing agent. The driver made it past SA customs agents at their side of the Oshoek Border Post, but he was detained by suspicious Swazi customs agents on their side of the border. When they questioned the driver, he blamed the clearing agent, who was called. The agent arrived with new documents, admitting he had undervalued the cargo by about 98%. After declaring the cargo’s true value was R155 000, he was arrested.
The agent will avoid prison time by paying a fine of R2 000. Two business people contacted by Freight News said the small fine was little deterrent against the underdeclaration of goods.
