News / National
130kg bullets smuggle bid foiled at Beitbridge
25 Jun 2016 at 09:22hrs | Views
FOUR omalayitsha from Bulawayo have been arrested at the Beitbridge Border Post for allegedly trying to smuggle bullets worth R42,855 from South Africa.
The Ferret squad arrested the quartet, who were travelling in a South African registered (CF52LRGP)Toyota Quantum vehicle, as they were about to leave the border post on Thursday morning.
The squad is made up of officials from the Department of Immigration, the police, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, Ministry of Transport and other security agents manning the border.
The four men were carrying bullets of varying calibre that weighed about 130kg.
They had successfully duped Zimra into believing they were carrying bicycle spares.
The four omalayitsha allegedly ran out of luck when an alert security officer searched their vehicle.
National police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi last night said he was not aware of the incident.
"I'm yet to get information on that matter," he said.
Sources at the border said the ammunition belonged to a Mr Clive Connelly of Tongogara Street in Bulawayo.
The suspects, who are now assisting police with investigations, have been identified as Francis Ncube (the driver), Mthabisi Ncube, Njabulo Nxumalo and Nkosana Makuyona.
"The four arrived in the country at around 9AM on Thursday and went through all immigration formalities. They declared that they were carrying bicycle spares and managed to hoodwink Zimra officials who let them pass.
"We intercepted them when they were about to leave the border. A 100 percent search of the vehicle was conducted leading to the discovery of an assortment of bullet cartridges weighing 130kg with a cumulative value of R42,855," said an official close to investigations.
The smuggling of firearms from South Africa into the country has off late become rampant.
Recently, a 48-year-old businessman from Ruwa was fined $2,000 for smuggling 2,417 bullets from South Africa into the country through Beitbridge border post.
Alert detectives intercepted Bensen Zindere of Zimre Park in Ruwa, who is the owner of Nechit Enterprises, as he was leaving the border area carrying the ammunition in a small satchel.
A few months ago, a retired army captain, Godfrey Mutasa of Harare, was also fined $800 by a Beitbridge magistrate for smuggling an ammunition progressive loading machine worth R300,000 which reloads bullets with gun powder.
Mutasa, who was intercepted while driving a Mazda BT50 single cab, had declared to Zimra that he was importing vehicle spare parts worth R1,200.
The Ferret squad arrested the quartet, who were travelling in a South African registered (CF52LRGP)Toyota Quantum vehicle, as they were about to leave the border post on Thursday morning.
The squad is made up of officials from the Department of Immigration, the police, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, Ministry of Transport and other security agents manning the border.
The four men were carrying bullets of varying calibre that weighed about 130kg.
They had successfully duped Zimra into believing they were carrying bicycle spares.
The four omalayitsha allegedly ran out of luck when an alert security officer searched their vehicle.
National police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi last night said he was not aware of the incident.
"I'm yet to get information on that matter," he said.
Sources at the border said the ammunition belonged to a Mr Clive Connelly of Tongogara Street in Bulawayo.
The suspects, who are now assisting police with investigations, have been identified as Francis Ncube (the driver), Mthabisi Ncube, Njabulo Nxumalo and Nkosana Makuyona.
"The four arrived in the country at around 9AM on Thursday and went through all immigration formalities. They declared that they were carrying bicycle spares and managed to hoodwink Zimra officials who let them pass.
"We intercepted them when they were about to leave the border. A 100 percent search of the vehicle was conducted leading to the discovery of an assortment of bullet cartridges weighing 130kg with a cumulative value of R42,855," said an official close to investigations.
The smuggling of firearms from South Africa into the country has off late become rampant.
Recently, a 48-year-old businessman from Ruwa was fined $2,000 for smuggling 2,417 bullets from South Africa into the country through Beitbridge border post.
Alert detectives intercepted Bensen Zindere of Zimre Park in Ruwa, who is the owner of Nechit Enterprises, as he was leaving the border area carrying the ammunition in a small satchel.
A few months ago, a retired army captain, Godfrey Mutasa of Harare, was also fined $800 by a Beitbridge magistrate for smuggling an ammunition progressive loading machine worth R300,000 which reloads bullets with gun powder.
Mutasa, who was intercepted while driving a Mazda BT50 single cab, had declared to Zimra that he was importing vehicle spare parts worth R1,200.
Source - chronicle
