adminThupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
Police have arrested 35 smugglers and recovered contraband worth thousands of dollars, trafficked through an illegal crossing point less than 1km from Beitbridge Border Post.
The gang was arrested on Monday evening as police intensified efforts to seal off illegal crossing points along the country’s border with South Africa.
The suspects, who have since been charged with smuggling, were carrying electrical gadgets including fridges, 275 litres of petrol, groceries and empty drums, among other things.
The value of the goods is yet to be ascertained. The officer commanding Beitbridge, Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo confirmed the arrests yesterday.
“I can confirm that we arrested 35 people on Monday evening at the spillway near the Old Limpopo bridge. These were carrying an assortment of goods they had smuggled from South Africa. The goods have been taken to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority for valuation and import duty calculations,” he said.
The official said deployments had been made to ensure criminals activities were dealt with accordingly along the river.
Zimbabwean and South African security has since the start of the lockdown in April been intensifying patrols to minimise the illegal movement of people and goods.
This is done to reduce the rate of the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic in the two neighbouring countries.
South Africans are intercepting mainly cigarettes being smuggled into their country from Zimbabwe, while ZRP is arresting people with an assortment groceries and electrical gadgets.
Presently, the border is closed to non-essential human traffic and the development has led to an upsurge in smuggling and border jumping cases.
Online Reporter