Court orders fines and forfeitures of cars due to undeclared goods

Staff Reporter

TWO Namibian men, Shivute Ericky Shipanga and Wilbard Hamutenya Haininga who entered the country on separate occasions without declaring their cars were ordered by the Gobabis Magistrate court to pay a fine of N$8,000.00 each, and forfeited their two cars to the state.

According to NamRa, one of the men entered the country through the TransKalahari Border Post without adhering to the mandatory customs declaration requirements, as contained in section 14(1) of the Customs and Excise Act, which requires the full declaration of all goods on entry into Namibia.

“Shortly after, swift and resolute action was taken by members of the Namibian police (NAMPOL), resulting in a pursuit that culminated in the apprehension of the driver in Gobabis,” NamRa remarked.

After making his court appearance in the Gobabis Magistrate court, the man was ordered to pay a fine in the amount of N$8,000.00 or face two years’ imprisonment and also forfeited his VW Golf 6 to the state.

NamRa further reported that last week Friday, the same court ordered the forfeiture of a Toyota Wish to the state, owing to the failure to declare foreign-obtained goods at entry by the driver, coupled with a N$8,000.00 fine or two years’ imprisonment.

“NamRa underscores that the forfeiture of the vehicles, as ordered by the court, is a monumental step towards deterring customs and excise violations and aligns with the Agency’s commitment to upholding customs and excise laws while promoting enhanced compliance. We, therefore, implore all traders and travellers to make the requisite declarations and comply with the applicable customs requirements at all times,” NamRa concluded.