Sudanese security service arrests gold smuggling group
June 15, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) has revealed the arrest of what it described as the most dangerous gold smuggling network in the country.
The central bank sets the purchase price based on the official exchange rate of the dollars, while the producers prefer to smuggle the gold to get benefit from the higher price of the dollars in the black market.
The Sudanese Medic Center quoted a security source, on Wednesday, as saying that the NISS seized 64 kilograms of gold that were designed for smuggling abroad to a neighbouring country.
The NISS further arrested 7 members of the network, including two foreigners from a neighbouring country it did not identify.
The capture of the gold smugglers took place after monitoring of purchase and storage operations of gold in order to smuggle it broad.
The Sudanese Media Center, which is close to the NISS, reported that the members of the network confessed plans to smuggle the gold through different stages.
Addressing the inauguration of NISS’s new facilities in the River Nile state capital, Al-Damar last January, the chief-spy Mohamed Atta said gold smuggling has become a public security issue, stressing that NISS is ready to combat the phenomenon in coordination with other regular forces.
Gen. Atta revealed higher security directives to stop the transportation of gold without prior permission from the concerned authorities.
He further pointed out that the recent amendments of the Criminal Code approved by the parliament aim to curb gold smuggling.
The spy-chief described the gold as a national resource that contributes to supporting the national economy.
The Sudanese minister of minerals, Ahmed Mohammed Sadiq al-Karouri, said in previous statements that the government has almost no control over 90% of the gold produced by independent miners, saying that the lack of adequate gold laboratory services led to the spike in smuggling; but vowed to enforce strict policies to curb it.
In a report to the parliament in June 2014, the Ministry of Minerals said that 75% of the gold production is smuggled abroad.
(ST)