Chinese national escapes prison term for gold smuggling

A Chinese national, Zhang Jiabo (24), was granted bail by Kariba resident magistrate Simon Kandiero despite being apprehended with gold valued at over US$200,000 at the Kariba Border Post.

Zhang was arrested on December 8, 2025, and charged with contravening Section 3(1) of the Gold Trade Act and Section 182 of the Customs and Excise Act. The State, represented by Carren Musiwa, opposed bail, but the magistrate cited "exceptional circumstances" in overruling the objection.

The decision raised questions after Zhang initially gave a Zambian residential address, only to later change it to a Zimbabwean address in court. The investigating officer had requested additional time to verify the accused's residence, but the magistrate proceeded to grant bail.

Zhang was released on US$1,000 bail, with conditions including surrendering his passport and reporting daily to Marlborough Police Station.

According to the State, Zhang was found with two bars of gold, weighing 745.49g and 856.93g, valued at US$93,857.19 and US$109,035.77, respectively. He is also awaiting the provision of a Chinese interpreter for the ongoing proceedings.

Despite being granted bail, Zhang remains in custody under a detention warrant issued by the Immigration Department for violating immigration laws.