Businessman arrested at airport with undeclared US$80 000

A Harare businessman was arrested at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Tanzania after allegedly being found in possession of undeclared foreign currency amounting to US$80 000.

Victor Magigwana (32) appeared before Harare regional magistrate Jesse Kufa facing charges of unlawful exportation of foreign currency in violation of the Exchange Control Act.

He was granted bail of US$300.

Prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi told the court that on March 14, 2026, detectives from the CID Commercial Crime Division in Harare received a tip-off from a reliable source that Magigwana was planning to smuggle cash out of the country through the airport.

Acting on the information, detectives alerted airport security personnel and police officers stationed at the airport.

Magigwana was reportedly monitored from the airport's entry point to the boarding area.

As he was about to board a Tanzania Airways flight, airport security officers intercepted him and conducted a thorough search of his belongings.

The search led to the discovery of US$80 000 in his handbag. Authorities said he had no authorisation documents from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) permitting him to export the money.

Magigwana was then handed over to officials from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra), who seized US$78 000 of the cash under a combined receipt and notice of seizure for currency.

Officials returned US$2 000 to Magigwana in line with the legal travel allowance permitted when leaving the country.

The total value of the seized foreign currency is US$78 000.