Security agents deployed to the border with South Africa have in the last two weeks collected a total of $27 million in revenue from smugglers as they continue with their crackdown on border crimes.
The security team is reportedly targeting smugglers, illegal migrants and immigrants, wheeler dealers operating along the border, and the highways leading to Bulawayo and Harare conveying contrabands.
Other criminal elements under the radar include those who are in the habit of bribing authorities to break the laws.
Beitbridge’s head of the police, Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo said they were working with other security agents in eradicating border-related crimes.
He said they were conducting an operation dubbed “No to Cross border Crimes.”
Chief Supt Nyongo said so far between July 6 and July 24 they had seized goods worth hundreds of dollars and collected fines amounting to $27 million, US$6 000, and R2 000 from scores they had arrested for border-related crimes.
“Our security teams are firm and we will not leave any stone unturned against smuggling and bribery,” he said.
“We encourage people to follow the correct route and procedures when carrying out their cross-border businesses.
“Between July 6 and July 24, working together with other district JOC (Joint Operations Command) members, we arrested 21 people for Bribery and 19 those have already been convicted and sentenced”.
The senior police officer said they had roped in all border stakeholders with the quest to deal effectively with crime with one vision.
Chief Supt Nyongo said they had made enough deployments along the border and its flanks and the major highways.
“We are enjoying excellent working relationships with our courts and border stakeholders in the fight against cross-border crimes, corruption, and bribery,” he added.
He said in some instances the goods were being smuggled via the border flanks and finding their way to the Dulivhadzimu bus terminus for loading into local intercity buses.
In other instances, the goods are being offloaded into commercial trucks in the town’s western suburbs for further transportation to inland Zimbabwe.
Chief Supt Nyongo said they had adopted a zero tolerance to corruption and warned those in the habit of bribing security agents to commit crimes that their days are numbered.
“We are not taking lightly to those who think they can bribe their way out,” he said.
Our news crew has since established that the bulky smuggled goods include electrical gadgets, groceries, other prohibited goods, and stolen vehicles en route to Malawi, Tanzania, and Mozambique.
Explosives, cigarettes, and stolen livestock are bulky of the goods being smuggled into South Africa via the border flanks.
On Sunday evening the police arrested a 35-year-old-man from Dulivhadzimu suburb while transporting 3×300-litre Defy deep freezers, 1×470-litre Defy deep freezer, 2x Zoo gas fridges (120litre), 4x Univa 4 plate stoves, 5x Defy 4 plate stoves, and 6 x Ferre 4 plate stoves.
The suspect was also carrying 1x small Defy upright fridge, 1 X KIC small upright fridge, 4 x 635-litre black KIC upright fridges, 2 x 635-litre metallic KIC upright fridges, 4x 2 plate gas stoves, 30 x Digimark small 2 plate stoves, 6 x Condere 2 plate stoves, 2 x Safi 9kg gas tanks, 14x Ecco 2 plate stove (with mini oven) and 5x 22litre Condere 2 plate stoves.
The contraband has since been taken to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority for further management.
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