A 44-year-old ex-police officer has been arrested by the national security task force while attempting to illegally import an assortment of ammunition through the Beitbridge Border Post on Sunday.
Munashe Sibanda was arrested at around 3am soon after
arriving aboard a Munhenzwa crossborder bus.
Sibanda, who resides in Chitungwiza, is a retired police
constable who was once deployed in Mashonaland East province.
He was dragged before Beitbridge resident magistrate Mr
Takudzwa Gwazemba on Monday charged with contravening a section of the Firearms
Act.
Sibanda was remanded out of custody to November 24 on $25
000 bail and ordered to report once every Friday at Makoni police station in
Chutungwiza between 6am and 6pm and not to interfere with State witnesses.
Prosecuting, Miss Esnath Vengedza said on October 24 at
around 3am, Sibanda arrived in the country aboard a Munhenzwa crossborder bus
via the Beitbridge border post.
The court further heard that the accused was transporting
an assortment of ammunition loaded in a box.
It is alleged that the man, who intended to ship the
contraband illegally, ran out of lucky when a customs officer searching the bus
noticed the box.
He then asked Sibanda to open the box and then informed the
security team to assist after discovering that the box had two pellet guns.
Further searches were carried out leading to the recovery
of 20×245 rounds, 360×303 rounds, 100×22 Horust rounds, 50×12 Gauge shot gun
rounds,50×6,35 Browning rounds, 100×22 Magnum rounds,300x9mmx 18 Makarov
rounds, 550×7,65mm Browning rounds, 25×12 Gauge rounds, 100×22 long riffle
rounds, 100×22 copper plated rounds,and 02x Black Gamo GTac pellet guns.
Sibanda was asked to produce a valid firearms certificate
authorising him to import the ammunition and he failed leading to his arrest.
The State said the ammunition was subsequently seized by
Zimra under notice of seizure No 032937L.
It is further alleged that Sibanda revealed during
interrogations that he was an ex-police officer once based in Marondera. Chronicle
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