CIO car smuggling racket mastermind arrested

The controversy involving certain Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) members in vehicle smuggling escalated last week when an alleged mastermind in the underground network was apprehended.

George Madziva, a State security agent and the alleged linchpin in the theft of number plates from the Office of the President and Cabinet, was finally apprehended. Madziva, believed to have significant connections, stands accused of being the key figure in the theft of number plates used for smuggled vehicles into the country.

He appeared in court before Harare magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa, who granted him bail of US$300. Madziva was represented by Liviours Mundieta.

Madziva's associate, Godfrey Bvenura, who spent a week in remand prison, was also granted bail. Bvenura is facing allegations of facilitating the use of stolen vehicle number plates.

According to court documents, Madziva is assigned to the President's Department research and development unit in Harare. It is alleged that sometime last month, Madziva and Bvenhura conspired to defraud the President's Department.

They collaborated with an individual named Simba, who is still at large, and applied to the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR), falsely claiming that the President's department, located at Chaminuka Building in Harare, was seeking a registration book and plates for a Renault Duster vehicle.

They misrepresented that the vehicle was the property of the President's Department. During the same month, the CVR Harare offices received the application for the Renault Duster vehicle purportedly owned by the President's Department.

The Central Registry department processed the registration book and number plates based on this misrepresentation. However, the deputy registrar grew suspicious of the application when it was discovered that another individual had applied for number plates on behalf of the President's Department. Both the police and the President's department were informed.

It is alleged that on October 11, Madziva and Bvenhura visited the CVR Offices along Robson Manyika Road, Harare, to collect the registration book and plates. They failed to receive them since the deputy registrar was not available. On October 12, 2023, the two returned to the CVR building, where Bvenhura was apprehended as he was about to receive the registration book and number plates, while Madziva managed to escape.

These arrests followed the apprehension of several members of the President's Department on similar allegations. Tatenda Dzapasi, another State security agent and an aide to Vice President Kembo Mohadi, also faced similar charges and was granted bail of US$800 last week.