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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
TWO men from Harare, one of them a British national, appeared before a Beitbridge magistrate charged with attempting to smuggle 5kg of gold worth $212,085 to South Africa through the Beitbridge Border Post. Richard Anthony Devlin, 29, a holder of a British passport and resides at number 197 Brook Drive, Borrowdale and Mark Patrick Greenhalgh, 34, of number 20 Grosvenor Road, Highlands, deny the charges.
Devlin is also the director of Off-Cut Import and Export Traders based at number 9 Salow Road, Chisipite in Harare.
The duo pleaded not guilty when their trial opened before Beitbridge resident magistrate Gloria Takundwa and were remanded to April 3, on $500 bail each.
Devlin and Greenhalgh were also ordered to surrender their passports to the clerk of court, to continue residing at their given address, report once on Fridays at CID Minerals in Harare and not to interfere with state witnesses as part of the bail conditions.
The trial started with testimonies from two detectives from the Border Control and Minerals Unit.
Prosecuting, Jabulani Mberesi told how on February 27, a team of detectives from CID Minerals Unit made up of officers from Harare and Beitbridge were on surveillance at Beitbridge Border Post when they spotted the two accused persons coming from the customs hall where passports and vehicle gate passes are stamped and goods are declared before proceeding to the exit gate for South Africa.
He said the detectives then approached the two as they got into their vehicle, a Toyota Hilux Club cab in which Devlin was the driver and Greenhalgh was seated in the passenger seat.
The police officers identified themselves and requested to search the vehicle. They also checked the passports and gate passes to see whether they had been cleared by the Department of Immigration and Zimra.
The court further heard that during the search the cops discovered a small tool box which had a screw driver and Allen keys. One of the detectives then opened the rubber covering the truck pan using the Allen keys resulting in the discovery of gold, which was wrapped in white and red adhesive tapes.
The adhesive tapes were removed and seven bars and 36 buttons of smelted gold weighing 5,2kg were recovered.
Devlin and Greenhalgh were asked to produce a licence authorising them to deal in gold but they failed resulting in their arrest. The vehicle and the gold were then seized by the police. The smelted gold was then taken to Harare for assaying and it was discovered that it had gold content of 5,240kg worth $212, 085.92.
Victor Zvobgo of Ngarava, Moyo and Chikomo is representing the duo.
Online Reporter