Vehicle seizure proposed in draft Customs Proclamation amendmentOfficials of the Ethiopian Customs Commission and the Ministry of Finance stated in Parliament this week that transport service providers and the owners of truck and bus fleets are implicated in illicit trade. The allegations came as lawmakers discussed a proposal to amend the Customs Proclamation in a bid to tighten enforcement against smugglers by applying the seizure of vehicles implicated in contraband trade. Azezew Chane, deputy head of the Customs Commission, argued that international practice supports confiscation as a deterrent. “Over the last eight years, a growing number of smugglers, mostly vehicle owners working with their drivers, were caught red-handed smuggling illegal goods into Ethiopia. We must act to curb this,” said Debele, endorsing the amendment to the Customs Proclamation.

Source: Ethiopian News April 11, 2026 13:23 UTC