South Sudan’s National Bureau of Standards (SSNBS) has intercepted 17 trucks carrying a variety of smuggled goods into the country.

Dr. Kuorwel Kuai Kuorwel, Chairperson of SSNBS, addressed journalists during a press conference held in Juba on Wednesday, revealing that the trucks, supplied by four Juba-based entities, were apprehended at Nimule and Nesitu.

The seized goods, which comprised items such as biscuits, beer, sugar, cooking oil, tahnia, honey, dates, coconut milk, and others, were imported from Brazil, India, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam.

Dr. Kuorwel highlighted a concerning incident involving five trucks loaded with sugar that were smuggled through the Nimule border to Juba without undergoing necessary inspections and laboratory analysis.

“On 11 January 2024, Inspectors of the South Sudan National Bureau of Standards (SSNBS) impounded 17 trucks loaded with assorted goods mainly biscuits, beer, sugar, cooking oil, tahnia, honey, dates, coconut milk, etc at Nimule and Nesitu, which were imported by four Juba-based suppliers from Brazil, India, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam,” Dr. Kuorwel said.

He issued a strong warning to commercial suppliers, emphasizing the grave consequences of illegal goods importation into the country. According to him, this not only violates product safety compliance but also constitutes illicit trade, a punishable offense under the law.

William Anyuon Kuol, the Minister of Trade and Industry, expressed his concerns about traders introducing substandard medicines into the country.

“We have even some medicines that come to the country without proper procedures and you know here, there are a lot of complaints, our people are sick and sometimes people are wondering why people are suffering from cancer and other people are suffering from ulcer and a lot of things. So, these things come as a result of substandard goods that are smuggled into the country,” he stated.