Who stole coltan worth Rwf670m? Container trucks cross into Tanzania from Rwanda. MSA has criticised Dar es Salaam port and Tanzanian police for failing to explain the circumstances behind the theft of the company’s minerals. File. Container trucks cross into Tanzania from Rwanda. MSA has criticised Dar es Salaam port and Tanzanian police for failing to explain the circumstances behind the theft of the company’s minerals. File
Minerals Supply African Ltd (MSA) has slammed Dar es Salaam port and Tanzanian police over failure to explain how the company’s minerals were stolen from the port three months ago. A container with 24 tonnes of Coltan destined to a customer in China was stolen at the port in March this year.
Coltan is a precious mineral used in various electronic devices including smart phones. Fabrice Kayihura, the deputy Chief Executive Officer MSA, said they had exported coltan worth $1 million(Rwf670m) but on arrival, the buyer found sacks of cement.
He added that the Tanzanian police and the port’s authority promised to investigate the case and make a report immediately, but nothing has been done to that effect. However, Dar port’s authority and Bollore Africa Logistics, the transporting company, have since denied any involvement in the theft, leaving the local company wondering how the minerals could have been switched.
MSA criticised the port’s decision not to allow cargo tracking devices on the cargo trucks that transport the containers from the warehouse to the port. “We had agreed that a container leaving the transporter’s warehouse to the port should have a tracking device, but we later came to know that the port’s authority had refused,” said MSA officials.
One of the officials said the transport company provides security to the cargo, including tracking devices and armed escorts up to their warehouse in Dares- salaam. “When they refused, we did not have any other option but we are sure it was never robbed on the way because it had a tracking device,” Kayihura said.
He noted that the ports authority and Tanzanian police had failed to communicate the outcome of the investigations, adding that they would consider using Mombasa Port where security is guaranteed.
“There has been no communication from the port’s authority and police, that’s why we doubt their innocence in this case. Three months have passed but they have not released even preliminary findings,” an irate Kayihura noted. FULL STORY
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