Chinese nationals in jail for vending smuggled mobile phones

A few days ago the Addis Ababa city administration launched a swift attack on street vendors, (a questionable sense of urgency as the vendors have stayed for so long swarming the streets), to wipe them out as the city claims to restore order and maintain a formal business environment.

As a result, some 30 Chinese nationals were caught selling smuggled mobile phones.


Following the booming taste for smartphones, the Chinese, here working for various government led projects, found part-time jobs in petty crime. According to sources, dozens of Chinese are believed to have smuggled large quantities of unidentified brands, which made their way to Addis Ababa via neighboring countries. The Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority (ERCA) is prosecuting the cases. Efforts made by The Reporter to contact the authority for a comment failed as the relevant officials were unavailable.

The Reporter was told to contact the law enforcement officials of the ERCA late on Friday night as it went to press, which was unfortunate. However, sources close to The Reporter confirmed that the number of Chinese involved in smuggling and retailing phones are numerous and highly visible around town. Only last week, dozens were reported to appear before court and sentenced; while a few were freed on bail. This Monday (26) three will appear in court for similar offenses.

According to information The Reporter has obtained, the Chinese are smuggling scores of fake and malfunctioning phones and retailing across the city and beyond. Recently a Chinese woman was caught red-handed by police in Bahir Dar, the capital of Amhara Regional State, selling mobile phones openly in the streets. According to the city’s police she was handed over to the ERCA, yet they suspect many of the devices are hidden, waiting for the right time to flood the local market.


The police at Bahir Dar raised suspicions over the involvement of customs staff at the airports, said to be helping the smugglers. To the surprise of the police, some of the detainees were found selling the phones using a tactical deceit, pretending that they had been robbed and lost all of their belongings apart from their phones. The smugglers then claim that they could get a much higher price for the (fake) phones back home, but are desperate to sell as they have lost all their other possessions. They suggest the bargain price of close to eight thousand birr or so, while the white collar buyer may cut the price to two or three thousand birr. The two parties will finally reach an agreement and the illicit trade will be complete.