Tripoli, April 10
It is reported from Tunisia that on Monday morning 150 vehicles carrying smuggled Tunisian-subsidized foodstuffs and fertiliser were stopped . . .[restrict]as they tried to force their way through the Tunisian side of the Ras Jedir border crossing into Libya,
The Tunisia press agency TAP said that that Tunisian border guards were attacked in the incident.
The guards had to chase some of the vehicles that had managed to get past the frontier post before they could reach the Libyan frontier. “We had to negotiate with them so that they would pay the taxes and cross into Libya,” an official was quoted as saying. He added that border guards were overwhelmed by the number of smugglers on the border.
The security presence at the border point had been reinforced following incidents
Last week some 80 trucks carrying Tunisian fertiliser managed to force their way through the Tunisian side of the border crossing. On Saturday, TAP reported that for the third night running, yet more trucks travelling at high speed broke through the check point under cover of darkness, refusing to comply with customs procedures, despite guards firing into the air.
However, Tunisian police had a little more success on Saturday night when they managed to thwart an attempt to smuggle 27 camels into Libya. Five vehicles carrying the camels were stopped near Matmata.
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