31 Jan 2007

Samoa stops attempted car smuggling

2:36 pm on 31 January 2007

The Customs office in Samoa has uncovered two more vehicles being smuggled into the country from New Zealand.

The container with the vehicles has been sitting on the main Matautu wharf for three weeks but the person responsible for the shipment is yet to approach the customs office.

Several other local people whose personal goods came in the same container are also waiting for the release of their property after their families in New Zealand paid about 4,000 US dollars to have the goods freighted to Samoa.

The chief executive officer of the Ministry of Revenue, Silau Paul Meredith, says police will execute a warrant to arrest the person responsible for the shipment.

He says the vehicles will be sent back to New Zealand.