LUSAKA, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in Zambia have intercepted 10 trucks laden with copper ore which was supposed to have been smuggled into the country without paying any taxes, the country's revenue collection agency said on Tuesday.
The trucks were intercepted at a border entry as they attempted to enter Zambia from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from where the copper was smuggled from.
Topsy Sikalinda, Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) corporate communication manager, said the smugglers, who were foreigners, presented fake customs documents at the border but alert officers after verification, noticed the anomalies and impounded the trucks.
"During the interception, the officers were threatened with guns, but since the operation was jointly conducted with other security wigs, all 10 trucks were intercepted and have since been issued with seizure notices," he said in a release.
He said the country was losing millions of money per month due to a drastic reduction in the importation of copper ores by importers because smugglers are now supplying them with the commodity.
The spokesperson however noted that security has been tightened at all border entries with the DRC as part of efforts to curb smuggling.
