Online Reporter
Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent
A CHINESE national, Cao Shutai (56), appeared in court on Saturday after being arrested at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport for attempting to smuggle out mineral samples of calcium and magnesium ores.
He faces charges under the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe Act.
Cao was granted US$100 bail, ordered to surrender his passport and remain at his registered Zimbabwean address.
The court heard that Cao arrived in Zimbabwe from China on a business visit permit valid until March 1 this year.
During his stay, he was hosted by Edgar Sibanda at 1347 Rydale Ridge, Harare, and had booked accommodation at 76 Drew Road, Kambanje, Harare.
On Friday, at about 11.30am, Cao collected three packets of mineral samples from an undisclosed location.
He put them in his luggage and went to the airport to board Ethiopian Airways Flight ET 873 to Addis Ababa, en route to Beijing, China.
As his luggage was scanned at the airport, a suspicious object was detected.
An official from the Airports Company of Zimbabwe (acz) alerted detectives from the CID Minerals, Flora and Fauna Unit Harare, who were stationed at the international departures section of the terminal.
Upon inspection, three mineral ore samples were discovered hidden among his clothes.
Cao was unable to provide any documentation for the mineral samples, leading to his arrest.
The samples were subsequently sent to the Institute of Mining Research laboratory at the University of Zimbabwe for analysis, confirming that they consisted of calcium and magnesium ores.
