Mozambique: Three Caught Red-Handed in Alleged Attempt to Steal 800,000 Liters of Fuel

What the report says

Mozambique’s National Criminal Investigation Service, known as Sernic, says it arrested two Zimbabwean truck drivers and a Mozambican customs officer in Maputo in connection with an alleged plan to steal 800,000 liters of fuel using forged documents. According to the report published by Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique and distributed by AllAfrica, the arrests were made after investigators noticed suspicious paperwork and two tanker trucks waiting for clearance at a local logistics yard.

The case is linked to an earlier inquiry from May, when about 400,000 liters of diesel headed for Manica province were allegedly diverted through fraudulent transit permits. The article says the customs officer was allegedly promised 1.7 million meticais to help the operation, with part of that amount to be paid when the tankers were loaded at the Port of Beira and the rest on delivery.

After a first court appearance, the two drivers were granted bail and released pending trial, with bail set at 300,000 meticais each. The customs officer remained in pre-trial detention after failing to meet a 600,000 meticais bail condition. He denied wrongdoing and said he had acted in good faith based on company documents. The case highlights Mozambique’s concerns about cross-border logistics fraud, customs corruption and losses to public revenue and regional supply chains.