PRETORIA: SARS Customs officials intercepted a Ferrari F1, worth an estimated R13.8 million, which was being smuggled back into the country after it had been stored in a bonded warehouse in South Africa since 2014. When it was first brought into the country, the owner failed to follow correct import procedures including paying the necessary customs duties and VAT, the South African Revenue Service (Sars) said in a statement released on Wednesday. The vehicle was subsequently held in a bonded warehouse for three years as the owner could not finalise the required customs processes.
In February 2017, the vehicle owner submitted an export declaration to take the car to the Democratic Republic of Congo through Beitbridge border post, the statement read. “A day later, there was an attempt to have the vehicle return to South Africa through the same border post,” Sars spokesperson, Sandile Memela stated. The vehicle has now been detained. A letter of intent has been issued to the owner as part of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act No 3 of 2000, to enable him to make representation to Sars.
