POLICE yesterday smashed a well-orchestrated smuggling racket and seized an assortment of alcohol worth over US$100 000 suspected to have been illegally brought into the country following the interception of a 30-tonne truck carrying some of the contraband.
The truck, which was towing two trailers, is registered
under the Capstone Company, a South African firm based in Johannesburg.
The vehicle was stopped by police from Bulawayo Central
Traffic along Plumtree Road. Upon being quizzed, the driver failed to produce
supporting documents.
Bulawayo provincial deputy police spokesperson Assistant
Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said upon being intercepted, the driver was ordered
to drive to the nearest police station.
He, however, diverted and went to the Wood Liquor warehouse
in the Belmont Industrial area.
“We followed the truck to the warehouse in Belmont and when
the truck driver spotted our officers approaching, he immediately drove inside
the premises and locked police out,” said Asst Insp Msebele. She said police
managed to gain access to the property and searched the warehouse where they
found a consignment of alcohol inside.
“Our officers asked for the relevant documents and none
were produced by the authorities at the warehouse. We then called officials
from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and the Bulawayo City Council,” said Asst
Insp Msebele.
She said the estimated value of the seized alcohol was
US$110 000 and investigations are on course.
When a Chronicle news crew arrived at the warehouse, police
were busy taking stock of the seized contraband. There was an assortment of
alcohol such as Gin, wines, lagers, ciders and mixers in boxes. It seems that
some outlets situated in the city centre including popular night spots in the
affluent suburbs, get their supplies from the warehouse.
The case could open
the lid into a bigger scandal involving leisure centres selling smuggled goods
violating the law and evading tax.
A BCC truck transported the consignment to the local Zimra
warehouse while the Capstone truck was also impounded. Asst Insp Msebele said the suspects are
facing charges of violating a section of the Liquor Licence Act and Customs and
Excise Act.
“As the police, we
urge members of the public to comply with police in the course of their duty.
We also urge business owners to acquire relevant licences. Members of the
public are urged not to evade customs duty to avoid unnecessary
inconveniences,” she said.
The latest development comes barely two days after three
suspected drug dealers, one of them an ex-police officer, were arrested in
Bulawayo following a raid at their homes in Entumbane suburb.
Police recovered marijuana, alcohol, weight gain tablets
and cough syrups among other illicit substances. They also found pipes, which
are used to inhale drugs, skin-lightening creams and plastic sachets, which are
used to package drugs.
The trio’s arrest was in response to the recent case in
which 17 youths from the same suburb were rushed to Ingutsheni Central Hospital
after overdosing on crystal methamphetamine (meth).
Zimbabwe is experiencing an upsurge in drug abuse cases and
most of those abusing the drugs are young people. Last year, the Ministry of
Health and Child Care launched a five-year strategic plan (2021-2025) against
substance abuse to curb its prevalence which has become alarming.
Substances that are commonly abused are alcohol (both
licensed and unlicensed brews) tobacco, cannabis and non-medical use of
controlled medicines such as codeine-containing cough medicines and
benzodiazepines. Chronicle
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