Sudanese forces seize 241 kg gold from plane
KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Sudanese Rapid Support Forces seized 241 kilograms of gold from a plane that landed in Khartoum on Thursday in an investigation into possible smuggling.
The plane had departed from Nile River state, the RSF said.
General Othman Mohamed of the RSF said that only 93 of the 241 kilograms had been cleared for export. The status of the remaining quantity was unclear.
“Our duty is now to bring this large quantity to the Sudanese central bank so that it can complete the necessary legal measures,” he said.
He did not give the name of the Moroccan company exporting the gold, or provide any further details beyond saying it was legally registered to operate in Sudan.
Gold mining is one of the main sources of foreign currency in the country, which produces around 100 tonnes of the metal a year.
Some 70 percent of output is estimated to be smuggled abroad as producers try to evade regulations requiring them to sell gold to the central bank in local currency at a price far below the black market rate.
Reporting by Nadine Awadalla; Writing by Lena Masri; Editing by Jan Harvey
