Retired army captain fined

Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
A 54-year-old retired army captain was on Saturday fined US$800 by a Beitbridge magistrate for smuggling an ammunition progressive loading machine worth R300 000 which reloads bullets with gun powder. Godfrey Mutasa of number 1402, 48th Street, Crowborough North in Harare was intercepted by police detectives and Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) officials on Thursday afternoon while about to leave the border.

He 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 Ms Gloria Takundwa.

Mutasa had initially been sentenced to 10 months imprisonment with the provision to pay US$800 fine.
The machine was forfeited to the State as part of the sentence.

Prosecutor Foster Abheki told the court that Mutasa who is a retired army captain arrived in Zimbabwe from South Africa on Thursday.
He said the accused was driving a Mazda BT50 single cab truck carrying the progressive ammunition reloading machine which he declared to Zimra as vehicle spare parts worth R1 200.

Soon after undergoing all the immigration and customs procedures 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 then conducted leading to the discovery of the machine.
He was the asked to produce the customs clearance documents but failed leading to his arrest.

Further investigations by the police revealed that the machine was worth R30 000 and had been invoiced under Dion Yatrus, a businessman of number 1 Fleetwood Road, Alexandra Park, Harare.