Mozambican authorities have arrested three suspects — one Mozambican national and two Zimbabwean citizens — accused of attempting to steal 800,000 litres of fuel using forged documentation at the cargo terminal of the Port of Beira, Lusa reported on Saturday, 12 September.
The three individuals were detained on 31 August in the city of Beira on charges of aggravated fuel theft, according to Alfeu Sitóe, spokesperson for the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) in Sofala province.
Among those arrested is a Mozambican national identified as a customs technician employed by a company responsible for processing the documentation required to authorise the departure of fuel tanker trucks. The two Zimbabwean nationals detained were working as tanker drivers.
According to Sitóe, the arrests arose from an investigation into an earlier case of aggravated theft involving 400,000 litres of diesel, which occurred on 13 May. In that incident, a consignment destined for Manica province was diverted using falsified documents.
Investigators established that the same network was planning to repeat the scheme, this time deploying two tanker trucks. "This time they came with two trucks. Each truck has a capacity of 400,000 litres, so two trucks amount to 800,000 litres," Sitóe said.
The customs technician is alleged to have been recruited to facilitate the operation by authorising the loading of the tankers against forged paperwork, in exchange for staged payments contingent on the consignment reaching its final destination.
"The first time they loaded. They succeeded — the crime was completed and they reached the destination. At this point we are still working to establish exactly where the cargo went," Sitóe added.
The two Zimbabwean citizens have been released on bail pending the progress of the legal proceedings, while the Mozambican suspect remains in pre-trial detention after failing to pay the bail amount set by the presiding judge.
Fuel theft cases have become increasingly frequent in Mozambique against a backdrop of severe pressure on fuel supplies. In May, the price of diesel rose by 45.5 per cent and petrol by 12.1 per cent.
Shortages recorded in April and May triggered long queues at filling stations across the country and prompted authorities to deploy the Rapid Intervention Unit (UIR) to maintain order and manage consumer access at fuel outlets.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/09/13/oilgas/combustiveis/beira-sernic-detem-tres-suspeitos-de-tentar-roubar-800-mil-litros-de-combustivel/
