Deputy spokesperson of the Ministry of Public Security and Disaster Prevention Moise Nkurunziza indicated that police had information about this smuggling and apprehended it around 10 p.m.

He warns smugglers, signifying to them that police are vigilant to catch and punish those who engage in informal commerce.

The commissioner at the Burundi Revenue Office (OBR) in charge of investigations Jean Berchmans Niyonzima asks traders to comply with the law by paying taxes and duties because if they are caught engaging in smuggling, they pay enormous fines that can hinder their businesses.

Smugglers cause the loss of revenue that should enter the OBR and as they reduce the prices of goods, this destabilizes the functioning of the business of traders in good faith, Jean Berchmans Niyonzima emphasized.

He asks the population to always report those who engage in smuggling because it is civic duty for every citizen and moreover, the informant receives 10% of the value of seized goods.

Concerning the sanctions planned for vehicles apprehended transporting smuggled goods, Jean Berchmans Niyonzima says that the OBR studies each case individually. If it finds that the driver was aware of what he was going to do, the vehicle must pay a heavy fine but if he was deceived, the penalty is reduced, he specified.