News / National
Two nabbed for attempting to smuggle 5kg gold
02 Mar 2014 at 08:18hrs | Views
DETECTIVES from the Border Control and Minerals Unit have arrested two Harare men, one of them a British national, for attempting to smuggle 5kg of gold worth $212 085,92 into South Africa through the Beitbridge Border Post, Sunday News reported.
The officer commanding Beitbridge district, Chief Superintendent Patrick Majuta, said the duo were arrested on Thursday afternoon.
He said they had charged Richard Anthony Devlin (29), who is a holder of a British passport number 761268497 and resides at number 197 Brook Drive in Borrowdale and Mark Patrick Greenhalgh (34) of number 20 Grosvenor road in Highlands, for contravening sections of the Gold Trade and the Customs and Excise Acts respectively.
Devlin is also the director of Off-Cut Import and Export Traders based at number 9 Salow, Chisipite, in Harare.
The duo appeared before Beitbridge resident magistrate Miss Gloria Takundwa yesterday, who remanded them for trial on 11 March on $500 bail each.
Devlin and Greenhalgh were also ordered to surrender their passports to the Clerk of Court, to continue residing at their given addresses, to report once on Fridays at CID Minerals in Harare and not to interfere with State witnesses as part of the bail conditions.
Prosecutor, Mr Jabulani Mberesi told the court that on 27 February a team of detectives from CID minerals unit made up of officers from Harare and Beitbridge, were on surveillance at Beitbridge border post when they spotted the two accused persons coming from the customs hall where passports and vehicles are stamped and goods are declared before proceeding to the exit gate for South Africa.
He said the detectives then approached the two as they got into their vehicle, a Toyota Hilux Club cab in which Devlin was the driver and Greenhalgh was seated on the passenger's seat.
The police officers identified themselves and requested to search the vehicle. They also checked the passport and gate pass to see whether they had been cleared by the Department of Immigration and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority.
The court further heard that during the search the police discovered a small tools box which had a screw driver and allen keys. One of the detectives then opened the rubber covering the truck pan using the alien keys resulting in the discovery of the gold which was wrapped in white and red adhesive tapes.
The adhesive tapes were removed and seven bars and 36 buttons of smelted gold weighing 5 916,17 grammes were recovered. Devlin and Greenhalgh were asked to produce a licence authorising them to deal in gold but failed resulting in their arrest.
The vehicle and the gold were then seized by the police. The smelted gold was then taken to Harare for assaying and it was discovered that it had gold content of 5 240,57 worth $212 085,92.
The officer commanding Beitbridge district, Chief Superintendent Patrick Majuta, said the duo were arrested on Thursday afternoon.
He said they had charged Richard Anthony Devlin (29), who is a holder of a British passport number 761268497 and resides at number 197 Brook Drive in Borrowdale and Mark Patrick Greenhalgh (34) of number 20 Grosvenor road in Highlands, for contravening sections of the Gold Trade and the Customs and Excise Acts respectively.
Devlin is also the director of Off-Cut Import and Export Traders based at number 9 Salow, Chisipite, in Harare.
The duo appeared before Beitbridge resident magistrate Miss Gloria Takundwa yesterday, who remanded them for trial on 11 March on $500 bail each.
Devlin and Greenhalgh were also ordered to surrender their passports to the Clerk of Court, to continue residing at their given addresses, to report once on Fridays at CID Minerals in Harare and not to interfere with State witnesses as part of the bail conditions.
He said the detectives then approached the two as they got into their vehicle, a Toyota Hilux Club cab in which Devlin was the driver and Greenhalgh was seated on the passenger's seat.
The police officers identified themselves and requested to search the vehicle. They also checked the passport and gate pass to see whether they had been cleared by the Department of Immigration and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority.
The court further heard that during the search the police discovered a small tools box which had a screw driver and allen keys. One of the detectives then opened the rubber covering the truck pan using the alien keys resulting in the discovery of the gold which was wrapped in white and red adhesive tapes.
The adhesive tapes were removed and seven bars and 36 buttons of smelted gold weighing 5 916,17 grammes were recovered. Devlin and Greenhalgh were asked to produce a licence authorising them to deal in gold but failed resulting in their arrest.
The vehicle and the gold were then seized by the police. The smelted gold was then taken to Harare for assaying and it was discovered that it had gold content of 5 240,57 worth $212 085,92.
Source - Sunday News
