Durban: The South African Revenue Service (SARS) Customs ended three days of intensive raids in Durban targeting non-compliance to the Customs and Excise Act on Wednesday. The joint initiative was led by SARS Customs and included the Durban Metropolitan Police, the South African Police Service, Department of Health and Department of Home Affairs.
The Durban leg of the initiative is part of nationwide operation which forms part of government's broader response to the challenges faced within the local clothing and textile industry. During the three days, 400 tons of clothing and textiles goods valued R60 million were detained.
This includes seizure of prohibited and restricted goods comprising of 200 kilograms of abalone, 10 000 counterfeit DVD titles of which 2 000 was pornographic DVDs and 10 000 movate creams tubes valued at R150 000. The 200 kilograms of abalone seized was handed over immediately to KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife on Monday.
The interventions were aimed at ensuring compliance with the Customs and Excise Act, while protecting the local clothing and textile industry against the unfair business practices which undermine the relevant legislative and policy frameworks.
During the period SARS Customs officials visited 85 stores of which 47 were closed as they failed to provide proof of import declaration for the goods in their stores. The store owners have been granted seven working days to provide the relevant documents and failure will results in the goods being confiscated by Customs.
SARS Customs would like to remind the public that illegal imports and unscrupulous acts such as fraud and mis-declaration on imported goods including undervaluation, smuggling, round-tripping and abuse of incentive schemes are treated as serious offences and punishable by law.
SARS urges members of public to contact us via our Fraud and Anti-Corruption Hotline 0800 002 870 of any suspect business behaviour in their respective communities to allow the laws to protect the compliant and to punish non compliance.
SARS Customs would like to thank all the participating government enforcement agencies for their contribution to the raids and looks forward to similar cooperation as the campaign continues in the rest of the country.
Issued by: South African Revenue Service
25 September 2009
Source: South African Revenue Service (http://www.sars.gov.za)
