Investigation into the Disappearance of 29.9 Tons of Iron Bars

The police in Petite-Rivière have launched an investigation into the disappearance of 29.9 tons of iron bars, which were sealed by the Consumer Affairs Unit of the Ministry of Commerce in February 2022.

The iron bars, imported from India, had failed to meet the required standards at the time of inspection in February 2022, and the importing company had assured that the cargo would be returned to India.

However, during a routine inspection on May 13, 2024, officers from the Ministry found that the container was empty despite being sealed.

The seal was still intact, but the iron bars had been removed and replaced with the seal left in place.

The iron bars were originally stored in a container that was inspected in February 2022, where samples were analyzed and it was found that they did not meet the required standards.

At the time, the company importing the iron bars had given an assurance that they would be returned to India.

In October 2022, a team from the Ministry conducted an inventory and found 30 lots of iron bars in the container before it was sealed.

However, during a subsequent inspection by the Consumer Affairs Unit on May 13, 2024, in the presence of a representative from the importing company, it was found that all the iron bars had disappeared.

The representative was unable to provide any explanation for their disappearance, valued at around Rs 1 million.

In a statement to the police on June 28, a senior official from the Ministry highlighted that the quality of the iron bars was below the standards imposed in Mauritius, posing a risk to those who used these materials.

The official also suspected that the importing company may have fraudulently recovered the iron bars, committing an offense under the Fair Trading Act of 1979.

Source: Defi Media