Online Reporter
FROM luxury vehicles being abandoned in the Limpopo River to three tonnes of sausages, 810kgs of chicken cuts and 40 kgs of polony being seized, authorities on both sides of Beitbridge are taking on the heat on smugglers.
From the first month of the year, when authorities recovered a Ford Everest XLT, valued at around R940,000 from the Limpopo River, the criminal networks, who use Beitbridge as their transit point, have been feeling the heat.
The Ford Everest XLT was reported to have been stolen on December 31, last year, in Bela-Bela, Limpopo.
There were reports yesterday, which authorities were yet to confirm, that another Ford Everest Sport was also abandoned by car thieves in the Limpopo River this week.
It follows the seizure of a Land Rover Discovery together with a loot, which included illicit cigarettes, by the South African National Defence Force soldiers along the South Africa-Zimbabwe border. The luxury vehicle was seized during a series of anti-smuggling operations in the Limpopo Province.
The operations, conducted by members of the 4 Artillery Regiment under Joint Operations Limpopo, resulted in the seizure of a Discovery, valued at R1.3 million, illicit goods worth R44,000 and illicit cigarettes worth more than R2.3 million.
According to the SANDF, the luxury vehicle was recovered from the Limpopo River after suspects allegedly drove it into the water while attempting to evade arrest.
“While busy at various parts of the South Africa/Zimbabwe border, our soldiers confiscated a Range Rover valued at R1,300,000.00 which unfortunately the suspects had driven straight into the Limpopo River in their attempt to evade arrest,” the SANDF said.
The military said the suspects fled the scene, but soldiers retrieved the vehicle from the river.
A few days ago, on the Zimbabwean side of Beitbridge, three thousand four hundred and eighty kilogrammes of sausage, 810 kilogrammes of chicken cuts and 40 kilogrammes of polony have been seized by ZIMRA.
This was part of a consignment of 4,3-tonnes of smuggled meat which was intercepted at an illegal crossing point in Beitbridge.
Authorities are warning the public against buying meat that may have bypassed critical health and safety checks.
ZIMRA said the seizure was made possible through the vigilance of border security stakeholders as authorities intensify the fight against smuggling.
The haul comprised 3,480kg of sausages, 810kg of chicken cuts and 40kg of polony.
ZIMRA said the consignment had none of the required biosafety, veterinary and Control of Goods permits needed for the products to enter the country legally.
Some of the products also require an import licence from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
In a statement, ZIMRA said: “Protecting our communities is at the heart of this intervention. “This intervention is about more than stopping smuggling.
“It is about protecting our communities and ensuring that meat entering the country complies with the required safety and regulatory standards.”
The authority said meat imports must comply with the necessary biosafety, veterinary and Control of Goods requirements, while certain products require additional import licences.
“We urge the public to buy meat from licensed retailers and never buy or support the trade in smuggled goods,” added the statement.
Authorities say smuggled meat can pose serious health risks because it bypasses official inspection and cold-chain requirements designed to keep meat safe for consumption.
Unregulated meat can potentially carry diseases that threaten both people and livestock.
The illegal trade also hurts legitimate businesses and local producers who meet regulatory requirements and operate within the law.
The latest seizure comes as Beitbridge remains a major hotspot for cross-border smuggling because of its busy border with South Africa.
Security teams have stepped up patrols at the official border and along known illegal crossing points in an effort to close routes used by smugglers. – H-Metro Reporter/IOL/Agencies
