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Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
POLICE have intercepted about 50,000 litres of fuel with a pump price of more than $64,000 that was being smuggled into the country through the Kazungula Border Post in Victoria Falls.
Sources at the border post said the government could be losing millions of dollars annually through well orchestrated fuel smuggling syndicates involving border post officials.
Police in Victoria Falls are investigating the suspected smuggling of fuel from Botswana after intercepting a truck carrying jojo tanks, which are being used to sneak the fuel into the country.
Three truck-loads of fuel each with about 17,000 litres allegedly entered the country through Kazungula Border Post in March.
It is suspected that the smuggling has been going undetected for a long time.
One of the trucks is being held in Victoria Falls after it was intercepted in Hwange by officials from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority recently. The driver could not account for the fuel.
Chief Superintendent Jairos Chiwona, the officer commanding Victoria Falls District, said investigations were underway.
“We can’t comment on that for now as it’s still premature since investigations are underway,” he said.
Border sources said the three trucks entered the country on March 13, March 19 and March 23 but are not documented on the Zimbabwean side of the border despite being recorded on the Botswana side.
Drivers of the trucks allegedly provided fake residential and company addresses purporting to be from Victoria Falls.
“There are records of the trucks crossing into Botswana but no trace of them coming back and no fuel is entered in any records, raising suspicions of a well orchestrated corruption syndicate involving drivers, security personnel, Zimra and immigration officials,” said a source.
“On March 23, a truck declared about 16,000 litres of fuel at the Botswana border after buying about 17,200 litres from a garage in Kasane,” The Chronicle was told.
The source revealed on March 19, an ERF truck with registration Number ADV 0760, the one being held in Victoria Falls, declared 15,000 litres on the Botswana side and there is no record of it on the Zimbabwean side, according to initial investigations.
The same truck again entered the country on March 23 and its registration number was allegedly altered.
“What raises eyebrows is that the same truck passed the border again on March 23 but it’s not documented. Instead, it only appears on the records of the security guard at the gate with altered registration details and it’s suspected the alteration was deliberate,” said the source.
Peace Security mans the border post.
The trucks would cross in the evening, it is alleged.
The source said that initial investigations had shown that the same truck had been hoarding fuel in Botswana and coming into the country via Plumtree Border Post and allegedly recently shifted to Kazungula after one official who is suspected to be part of the scandal was transferred from Plumtree to Kazungula.
Zimbabwe and Botswana officials have launched a joint operation to curb smuggling of fuel from the neighbouring country.
Home Affairs Deputy Minister Obedingwa Mguni last week said unregistered fuel dealers have been smuggling petrol through the Plumtree Border Post and illegal crossing points along the border for the illegal market in the country. He said soldiers had been deployed along the border while security had been beefed at border posts.
Online Reporter