Monrovia – The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) has intercepted and confiscated seven vehicles that were stolen from the United States of America and imported to Liberia.
The Anti-Smuggling and Intelligence Section (ASIS) of the LRA, working in collaboration with the Liberian Police and the US Embassy inMonrovia, seized the vehicles at the Freeport of Monrovia on Thursday, October 13, 2016, while the vehicles were being offloaded from the containers.
The stolen vehicles were falsely declared by the consignee, Sheak K. Brown Building Material, Inc., with one being claimed by one Sam Ford Bass.
One container had four vehicles but only three were declared. The second container was discovered through extensive data mining in ASYCUDA notwithstanding, internal collaboration.
The seized vehicles include two 2016 Mercedes Benz, two Jeeps (a Grand Cherokee and Wrangler, both of 2016 model), a 2014 Toyota Rav V4, a 2016 Dodge Ram 1500, and a 2016 Audi Q5.
The US embassy had written the Liberian government through the Foreign Ministry, seeking assistance for the immediate transfer of the stolen vehicles back to the United States.
In a diplomatic note, the embassy said the United States of America had had a history of vehicles being stolen and transported to Liberia and other West African countries.
“The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) has been our primary contact in confiscating, detaining and repatriating said vehicles,” the diplomatic note stated.
“We have had a successful working relationship with the LRA and have ensured the proper rules of law are followed.”
LRA Commissioner General Elfrieda Stewart Tamba said while the Authority is in the business of collecting lawful revenue for the Liberian people and under legal and lawful obligation to promote fair trade, consistent with its mandate and in keeping with the International Convention on Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters.
Commissioner Tamba said the LRA remains committed and will not be perturbed in executing its mandate for the national good for people of Liberia.