• An export bound truck ferrying what was said to be Silica Sand was impounded at Kazungula Border Post.
• The exporters declared exporting 29 tonnes of Silica Sand worth K18, 600, when the truck was carrying Lithium Ore of 1.71%.
• Lithium is among the minerals that government has classified as a Strategic resource.

Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) has disclosed that it has impounded and seized a truck for attempted smuggling of one of the country’s strategic minerals- Lithium worth K296,000.

Lithium is among the minerals that government has classified as a Strategic resource.

Authority Corporate Communications Manager Oliver Nzala revealed in a statement that an export bound truck ferrying what was said to be Silica Sand was impounded at Kazungula Border Post for verification after a tip-off that it was carrying Lithium Ore.

Mr. Nzala explained that the exporters declared exporting 29 tonnes of Silica Sand worth K18, 600, when the truck was carrying Lithium Ore of 1.71% worth K296, 000, hence Ministry of Mines has also charged a penalty of K90, 000 on the exporter for false declaration of the export mineral.

“The interception happened at the Kazungula One Stop Border Post (OSBP) by a team of ZRA officials in collaboration with the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development following investigations against a cartel of exporters misclassifying the export of valuable mineral products.”

“Samples were hence collected from the truck by a combined team of ZRA and Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development officers to verify the actual content of the mineral ferried by the truck,” Mr. Nzala stated.

He warned all would be perpetrators to desist from such crimes as several measures have been put in place to identify illegal acts.

Meanwhile, Mr. Nzala said the Authority in collaboration with Ministry of Mines has intensified its mineral quality and valuation verification activities at border posts after discovering that a number of mineral exporters have been presenting false samples when applying for Mineral Export Permits.

“This results in Export Permits for minerals with different quality and values to those finally exported. It is for this reason that samples that are further subjected to testing at various Government and private Laboratories are being collected at the point of export to verify the accuracy of declarations by mineral exporters.”

“This further exemplifies why the Authority keenly supports the announcement by the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development for the formation of the Minerals Regulator as it is anticipated that this institution will address the existing gaps in the mineral value chain monitoring and enforcement, that have continued to defraud the nation of the much-needed revenue from the mining sector,” he said.