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4 in court over alleged clothing smuggling
13 hrs ago |
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Four men arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) have appeared in court on charges of allegedly smuggling 30 tonnes of clothing and assorted goods from Tanzania into Zimbabwe.
Mallulidi Sultani, Sebastian Mutakwa, Carlton Mutize and James Mugumbati appeared before Harare Regional Magistrate Jesse Kufa on Thursday.
The quartet was remanded in custody until July 22 for a bail hearing, while Mugumbati faces an additional charge of impersonating a police officer.
The State alleges that on July 15, 2026, ZACC received intelligence that a South African-registered haulage truck carrying a smuggled consignment of approximately 30 tonnes of clothing and other goods from Tanzania was headed to an industrial site in Chitungwiza.
Acting on the information, ZACC officers mounted an operation and intercepted the truck before the cargo could be offloaded.
According to the prosecution, the truck was found parked at an industrial stand, where Sultani and Mutakwa identified themselves as the driver and assistant driver, respectively.
As investigators questioned the pair about the cargo and requested customs clearance documents, Mugumbati allegedly arrived at the scene and introduced himself as a serving member of the Police Intelligence Unit.
The court heard that Mugumbati produced an identity card and claimed to be a joint owner of the 30-tonne consignment.
Prosecutors allege that when ZACC officers requested importation and customs clearance documents, the suspects failed to produce valid paperwork.
Instead, Mugumbati and an unnamed accomplice, who allegedly claimed responsibility for hiring the truck to transport the goods from Tanzania, presented documents bearing Chirundu Border Post stamps dated between July 11 and July 14, 2026.
However, investigators allegedly established that the documents related to a completely different shipment.
According to the State, the paperwork covered the importation of 22,000 kilograms of honey and not the clothing found in the truck.
The discrepancy led to the arrest of the four accused, while the haulage truck and its trailer were seized as part of the investigation.
The matter returns to court on July 22 for the determination of the accused persons' bail applications.
Mallulidi Sultani, Sebastian Mutakwa, Carlton Mutize and James Mugumbati appeared before Harare Regional Magistrate Jesse Kufa on Thursday.
The quartet was remanded in custody until July 22 for a bail hearing, while Mugumbati faces an additional charge of impersonating a police officer.
The State alleges that on July 15, 2026, ZACC received intelligence that a South African-registered haulage truck carrying a smuggled consignment of approximately 30 tonnes of clothing and other goods from Tanzania was headed to an industrial site in Chitungwiza.
Acting on the information, ZACC officers mounted an operation and intercepted the truck before the cargo could be offloaded.
According to the prosecution, the truck was found parked at an industrial stand, where Sultani and Mutakwa identified themselves as the driver and assistant driver, respectively.
As investigators questioned the pair about the cargo and requested customs clearance documents, Mugumbati allegedly arrived at the scene and introduced himself as a serving member of the Police Intelligence Unit.
Prosecutors allege that when ZACC officers requested importation and customs clearance documents, the suspects failed to produce valid paperwork.
Instead, Mugumbati and an unnamed accomplice, who allegedly claimed responsibility for hiring the truck to transport the goods from Tanzania, presented documents bearing Chirundu Border Post stamps dated between July 11 and July 14, 2026.
However, investigators allegedly established that the documents related to a completely different shipment.
According to the State, the paperwork covered the importation of 22,000 kilograms of honey and not the clothing found in the truck.
The discrepancy led to the arrest of the four accused, while the haulage truck and its trailer were seized as part of the investigation.
The matter returns to court on July 22 for the determination of the accused persons' bail applications.
Source - online
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