Chronicle Editor
Yoliswa Dube-Moyo, Mat South Bureau Chief
Police in Gwanda have recovered 250kg of activated carbon which is suspected to have been stolen.
Activated carbon is a form of carbon processed to have small, low-volume pores that increase the surface area available for absorption of chemical reactions. It is known to be effective in the removal of organic impurities and is used in many industries such as water filtration, gas filtration and gold recovery in mining operations use activated carbon.
The uses of activated carbon are essential for the gold industry as it provides excellent process performance, minimal attrition loss and minimal maintenance problems.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the suspect was intercepted at a roadblock while driving a blue Honda Fit vehicle with three passengers on board.
“Police in Gwanda arrested a man (27) for possession of five by 50kg sacks of activated carbons which are suspected to have been stolen. The suspect was intercepted at a roadblock while driving a blue Honda Fit vehicle AEQ6832 with three passengers on board. The passengers fled from the police. Investigations are underway,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
Meanwhile, police officers who were on patrol along the Limpopo River enforcing operation “No to cross border crimes” arrested Custom Savanhu (40) for unlawful possession of prohibited, controlled and restricted medicines.
Asst Comm Nyathi said police recovered 400 by 100ml of BronCleer cough syrup with a street value of R40 000 which was in a Honda Fit vehicle. BronCleer, a cough syrup with high alcohol content and containing the restricted codeine, is banned in Zimbabwe but it is popular with drug abusers. It is commonly known by its street name, Bronco. Police have arrested more than 77 000 people for various cross border crimes across the country since January last year under the operation “No to cross border crimes”.
Asst Comm Nyathi said the police blitz had netted 77 396 offenders since January last year when it commenced. “On December 12, 2021, police arrested 427 people countrywide under the operation: ‘No to cross border crimes’.”
“So far, police have arrested 77 396 people throughout the country since the operation commenced in January 2021.”
Smuggling has been problematic in the country, with people exploiting porous borders to bring in goods without paying duty.
A trucker was recently arrested in Beitbridge after smuggling 21 refrigerators into the country.Last year, police also arrested 1 413 people countrywide under the Interpol/Afripol joint operation code name “Flash IPPA” (illicit pharmaceuticals and health products in Africa, being conducted by 54 African member countries. — @Yolisswa
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