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Beitbridge Bureau
POLICE in Beitbridge have arrested a 54-year-old retired army captain for smuggling an ammunition progressive reloading machine worth 30, 000 rand. The retired army officer, Godfrey Mutasa of number 1402, 48th Street, Crowbrough North, Harare, was intercepted by police detectives and Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) officials on Thursday afternoon when he was about to leave the border.
Mutasa was convicted on his own plea of guilty to contravening a section of the Customs and Excise Act when he appeared before Beitbridge resident magistrate Gloria Takundwa on Saturday.
He was fined $800 or 10 months in prison for smuggling the machine, which reloads bullets with gun powder.
The machine was forfeited to the State as part of the sentence.
Prosecuting, Foster Abheki told the court that Mutasa, a retired army captain, arrived in the country from South Africa on Thursday.
He was driving a Mazda BT50 single cab carrying the progressive ammunition reloading machine, which he declared to Zimra officials as vehicle spare parts worth 1, 200 rand.
Soon after undergoing all the immigration and customs procedures, the court heard that Mutasa decided to leave the border post but was intercepted by alert police detectives and Zimra officials near the exit gate.
A search of the vehicle was conducted resulting in the discovery of the machine.
He was asked to produce the customs clearance documents but failed resulting in his arrest.
The machine was then seized by Zimra.
Further investigations by the police revealed that the machine was worth 30,000 rand and had been invoiced under Dion Yatrus, a Harare based businessman of Number 1 Fleetwood Road, Alexander Park.
Online Reporter