Ethiopia police and army capture seven kilograms of gold and over one million dollars of hard currency from smugglers trying to take out of the country.
The contraband gold and hard currency were captured before it leaves the country at the eastern part of the country Jigjiga customs branch. The contraband items captured hidden in a car includes 7 kilograms of gold, hard currencies of different countries in cash including $1,527, 31,900 pound sterling, 25,665 Canadan dollar, 714, 8,800 Australian Dollar, 8,280 euros and 1, 393 Kwait Dinar.
From the same car the Commission has also seized 690 Swiss Frank, 80,870 Norway Krone, 4,810 Qatar Riyal, 72,715 United Arab Emirates Dirham, 734, 088 Saudi Rial, 904 Bahrain Riyal and 4 Oman Riyal are also captured from the same car.
The Commission estimated that the total value of the seized items is around 60 million birr. The Commission also stated that four individuals who were trying to smuggle the gold and the hard currency are arrested.
Recent reports show that contraband trade and money laundering has been a major concern of the east African country, which has embarked on a major political and economic reform.
The latest report of the Customs shows that in the past six months the country has captured worth half a billion birr contraband goods. The goods are captured being smuggled into the country and out of Ethiopia to the neighboring countries.