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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Plumtree Correspondent
POLICE in Plumtree have arrested 31 people from Mangwe District who are suspected to be assisting smugglers in transporting fuel from Botswana into the country through illegal entry points.
The villagers, from several communities along the borderline, are reportedly accommodating smugglers and their goods in their homes while others assist by carrying smuggled goods across the border for a fee. Nxele Ward councillor Sakhile Ndebele confirmed the arrests made on Wednesday night. She said the villagers were intercepted in the bush while others were found milling around the business centre at night.
Although Matabeleland South police spokesman Inspector Philani Ndebele could not be immediately contacted for comment, a police source from Plumtree who preferred anonymity said the raid was part of “Tahangana Part 4” which is a joint operation with Botswana police.
‘’As police we are conducting an operation jointly with the Botswana police to flush out operations of fuel smugglers which are rampant in the district. We arrested 31 people on Wednesday around 11 pm and they were taken in for questioning. Some of these people were intercepted while hiding in bushy areas while some were milling around shops at night,” he said.
The police source said civilians were in the habit of collecting fuel from the Botswana side and smuggling it into Zimbabwe.
He said the villagers then handed over the fuel to fuel dealers in the country who are working in collaboration with Botswana nationals.
The police source said the villagers had knowledge of points where they could use to bring the fuel into the country.
He said some of the villagers were cashing in on this illegal activity. Officer commanding Bulilima-Mangwe Police District Chief Superintendent Gideon Zulu recently said police in Plumtree had intensified patrols along the border resulting in the recovery of more than 20 000 litres of petrol between January and May.
He said the patrols were part of efforts to intercept goods that were being smuggled in and out of the country through illegal crossing points. Villagers in some parts of Bulilima and Mangwe districts are reportedly charging a minimum of R100 or P100 to help smugglers in transporting their products.
The village head of Vaka area in Mangwe District, Mr Moses Ndlovu said such activities were rampant in his area. He said a number of smugglers passed through his village in the middle of the night on their way to Botswana through illegal points.
Mr Ndlovu said most of the criminals were getting help from villagers. The headman of Nswazi area in Bulilima also said smuggling activities were rampant in his area with smugglers dealing in cigarettes and mbanje.
Headman Jetcheni said from Botswana, said the criminals were smuggling mainly clothing and electrical gadgets.
In Mangwe District smugglers reportedly gain access to the neighbouring country through Nxele, Madabe, Ngwanyana and Tshitshi areas. In Bulilima smugglers are assisted by villagers from Dombolefu, Nswazi and Bambadzi areas.
derick.khumalo