National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul
Nyathi revealed on Wednesday that the seemingly free-for-all situation that was
obtaining along the porous border line was due to corrupt law enforcement
agents who were working in cahoots with smuggling syndicates.
“The evidence is there on the ground that we have finally
won the war against smugglers who had created a free-for-all situation along
the border. This is so because we have taken a multi-stakeholder approach which
involves all arms of law enforcement in dealing with smugglers. The ongoing
operation will continue indefinitely until order reigns.
“Corruption among some of our officers manning the
borderline was negatively affecting our operations to restore order. At least
five police officers have been arrested on allegations of working with
syndicates to smuggle contraband into the country and a lot more are still
under investigations.
“We are saying zero tolerance against corruption and we
mean it. Smugglers were carrying on with their illegal enterprise because there
were some law enforcement agents who were looking the other way after receiving
bribes. We have put an end to that and that is why everything has gone back to
normal. Trade with the outside world should take place via legal entry points
at the borders and not through the bush,” he said.
Assistant Commissioner Nyathi said the recent successes in
combating smuggling are largely due to the priceless support the police is
receiving from members of the public who are supplying tip-offs regarding the
movement of the smugglers.
“These smugglers are cunning and dynamic. They change their
operations and routes daily in order to evade arrests, but members of the
public have been supplying useful information resulting in numerous arrests.
This is the cooperation we need because smuggling bleeds the economy and it
affects us all.
“A litany of strategies has been put in place so that we
deal with smuggling once-and-for-all. I cannot tell you everything because that
will jeopardise our operations, but what I can assure you is that there will be
no peace for would-be smugglers.
“On the other hand, the media played a big part in exposing
this rot and bringing everything to the attention of the authorities. This is
the kind of coverage we need to bring out corrupt activities,” he said.
Assistant Commissioner Nyathi also said the recent arrest
of three suspects who had smuggled more than 19 000 litres of diesel into the
country through Chipinge show that law enforcement agents are manning the
entire borderline.
He said some of the smugglers who ordinarily used illegal
routes near Mutare have shifted and are now trying out some routes in remote
places.
“We have all the information and law enforcement agencies
are manning the length and breadth of the entire borderline. Everything should
get into the country through official points,” he reiterated.
The three suspects from Harare were last week hauled before
a Mutare provincial magistrate on allegations of contravening the Customs and
Exercise Act after they had smuggled 19 000litres of diesel from Mozambique via
an illegal crossing point at Southdowns in Chipinge.
The trio – Charles Dube (54), Tanaka Kwaadini (27) and
Dennis Chinokora (27) – appeared before Mr Langton Mukwengi and were denied
bail.
Public prosecutor, Mr Tafadzwa Chiwanza said on July 14,
Assistant Inspector Onward Tembedza received information that some trucks were
smuggling fuel into Zimbabwe using an undesignated crossing border point in
Chipinge.
A team of four police officers from Mutare Central District
Police Intelligence Unit reacted to the information and laid an ambush at the
Southdowns illegal crossing point near Makuyana Village.
Mr Chiwanza said the police officers spotted an
unregistered DAF CF tanker truck crossing into Zimbabwe and intercepted it. Upon
being interviewed, the occupants indicated that they were carrying
approximately 19 000l of diesel.
They failed to produce the relevant documents and the
tanker was subsequently impounded and escorted to ZRP Mutare Central together
with the accused persons. Manica Post
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