News / National
Zimbabwe, Botswana soldiers clamp down on fuel smuggling
09 Apr 2016 at 08:41hrs | Views
ZIMBABWE and Botswana Defence Forces officials have launched a joint operation to curb smuggling of fuel from the neighbouring country.
Unregistered fuel dealers have been smuggling petrol through the Plumtree Border Post and illegal crossing points along the border which they sell illegally in the border town.
Home Affairs Deputy Minister Obedingwa Mguni, who is also MP for Mangwe Constituency, said soldiers from the two countries were conducting patrols along the border and were monitoring the area between the Plumtree and Border Post which was being used as an illegal fuel selling point.
He said the operation would complement police patrols.
Mguni said in addition his Ministry had beefed up security at the border post to monitor officials that were part of the syndicate.
''Soldiers from the two countries have launched an operation to address the problem of illegal selling of fuel which is rife in Plumtree. This operation has helped to curb these illegal activities and we hope that it will become a regular operation.
''The operation is in different phases and let this serve as a warning to these fuel criminals as they'll be caught off guard and they will be dealt with accordingly,'' he said.
He said the soldiers were handing over the confiscated fuel to Zimra officials and the culprits to the police.
Mguni said since police officers based in Plumtree were reportedly part of the syndicate his Ministry had deployed officers from outside to monitor smuggling of fuel.
''There is an area between the Plumtree Border and the Botswana Border known as no man's land where fuel was being exchanged between Botswana and Zimbabwe illegal fuel dealers.
"These dealers were now spending the entire day stationed at the area with their fuel containers without being arrested. The operation has now helped to contain those criminal activities as the fuel operators have fled from that place," he said.
Mguni recently raised concern over illegal fuel operations which were rife in the border town. He said police in Plumtree and border officials stationed at the town's border were reportedly engaged in the syndicate which he said would soon come to an end.
Unregistered fuel dealers have been smuggling petrol through the Plumtree Border Post and illegal crossing points along the border which they sell illegally in the border town.
Home Affairs Deputy Minister Obedingwa Mguni, who is also MP for Mangwe Constituency, said soldiers from the two countries were conducting patrols along the border and were monitoring the area between the Plumtree and Border Post which was being used as an illegal fuel selling point.
He said the operation would complement police patrols.
Mguni said in addition his Ministry had beefed up security at the border post to monitor officials that were part of the syndicate.
''Soldiers from the two countries have launched an operation to address the problem of illegal selling of fuel which is rife in Plumtree. This operation has helped to curb these illegal activities and we hope that it will become a regular operation.
''The operation is in different phases and let this serve as a warning to these fuel criminals as they'll be caught off guard and they will be dealt with accordingly,'' he said.
He said the soldiers were handing over the confiscated fuel to Zimra officials and the culprits to the police.
Mguni said since police officers based in Plumtree were reportedly part of the syndicate his Ministry had deployed officers from outside to monitor smuggling of fuel.
''There is an area between the Plumtree Border and the Botswana Border known as no man's land where fuel was being exchanged between Botswana and Zimbabwe illegal fuel dealers.
"These dealers were now spending the entire day stationed at the area with their fuel containers without being arrested. The operation has now helped to contain those criminal activities as the fuel operators have fled from that place," he said.
Mguni recently raised concern over illegal fuel operations which were rife in the border town. He said police in Plumtree and border officials stationed at the town's border were reportedly engaged in the syndicate which he said would soon come to an end.
Source - chronicle
