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Smugglers dump Honda Fit, contraband after cops chase
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An anti-smuggling crack team operating along Zimbabwe's Manicaland border with Mozambique intercepted a suspected smuggling operation after discovering an abandoned vehicle packed with contraband second-hand clothes.
The dramatic incident unfolded on June 23, 2025, when a blue Honda Fit, believed to have been used in the smuggling attempt, was found crashed and abandoned at a road intersection in Greenside, Mutare. Authorities say the car, which was loaded with nine bales of second-hand clothes, is suspected to have been smuggling the goods from Mozambique through an illegal crossing point known as kwaRimayi.
The vehicle had reportedly lost control and rammed into a tree during what appears to have been a high-speed escape from anti-smuggling patrols. The suspects vanished from the scene before law enforcement officers arrived.
Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, confirmed the incident and said the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) had since handed over both the vehicle and the recovered goods to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) as part of ongoing investigations.
"On 23 June 2025 at around 1700 hours during their routine patrols, our anti-smuggling teams received information about a blue Honda Fit vehicle, registration number AEE0342, in transit to Sakubva and loaded with a consignment of nine bales of second-hand clothing from Mozambique," said Inspector Chinyoka.
He said the anti-smuggling unit pursued the vehicle using known smuggling routes but later received an anonymous tip-off that a vehicle matching the description had crashed at an intersection in Greenside.
"The team responded swiftly and discovered the abandoned vehicle with the contraband inside. Everything has since been surrendered to ZIMRA," he added.
Inspector Chinyoka appealed to the public to provide any information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects or identification of the vehicle's owner. He emphasized that investigations are ongoing and that law enforcement remains on high alert in the border province.
Smuggling of second-hand clothes, known locally as mabhero, remains a major challenge in border areas, undermining formal trade and costing the country millions in lost revenue.
The dramatic incident unfolded on June 23, 2025, when a blue Honda Fit, believed to have been used in the smuggling attempt, was found crashed and abandoned at a road intersection in Greenside, Mutare. Authorities say the car, which was loaded with nine bales of second-hand clothes, is suspected to have been smuggling the goods from Mozambique through an illegal crossing point known as kwaRimayi.
The vehicle had reportedly lost control and rammed into a tree during what appears to have been a high-speed escape from anti-smuggling patrols. The suspects vanished from the scene before law enforcement officers arrived.
Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, confirmed the incident and said the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) had since handed over both the vehicle and the recovered goods to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) as part of ongoing investigations.
"On 23 June 2025 at around 1700 hours during their routine patrols, our anti-smuggling teams received information about a blue Honda Fit vehicle, registration number AEE0342, in transit to Sakubva and loaded with a consignment of nine bales of second-hand clothing from Mozambique," said Inspector Chinyoka.
He said the anti-smuggling unit pursued the vehicle using known smuggling routes but later received an anonymous tip-off that a vehicle matching the description had crashed at an intersection in Greenside.
"The team responded swiftly and discovered the abandoned vehicle with the contraband inside. Everything has since been surrendered to ZIMRA," he added.
Inspector Chinyoka appealed to the public to provide any information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects or identification of the vehicle's owner. He emphasized that investigations are ongoing and that law enforcement remains on high alert in the border province.
Smuggling of second-hand clothes, known locally as mabhero, remains a major challenge in border areas, undermining formal trade and costing the country millions in lost revenue.
Source - online
