Placido Hilukilwa
ANGOLA has banned the production and sale of whiskey and similar drinks in small plastic packaging, whose illegal importation to Namibia has been one of the most common cross-border crimes for many years.
The ban, gazetted on January 12 and effective from March 12, comes in handy for the Namibian police, who are continually battling the cross-border smuggling of liquor and other illicit goods such as fuel, cigarettes, and second-hand clothes. Suspects are occasionally arrested, and their goods confiscated, but the smuggling continues unabated.
However, the Angolan Ministry of Trade, citing health and environmental risks, has now banned the production and sale of liquor packaged in small plastic containers. Several suspects, mostly drivers, have been arrested at various police roadblocks since the beginning of the year when they were caught red-handed transporting large quantities of “Best” whiskey to the south of the Red Line.
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