Edward Chikukwa
(48)’s luck ran out on 11 March 2025 when South African police pounced on him
at the Beitbridge Port of Entry weighbridge, as part of a joint border security
blitz targeting transnational crime.
According to
Hawks spokesperson for Limpopo, Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa, officers
searched his two-trailer truck and found bags loaded with 16 reels of
detonating fuse explosives and 2 182 Superpower 90 blasting cartridges hidden
in the cargo.
“The
Musina-based Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation team handled the case,
and the accused was kept in custody until his conviction and sentencing on 13
October 2025,” said Mmuroa.
The explosives,
believed to be destined for illegal mining syndicates operating in the Free
State, Gauteng and Limpopo, have become a major concern for both Zimbabwean and
South African authorities.
Hawks
provincial commander, Major General (Adv) Gopz Govender, praised his officers
for the bust, saying the conviction showed that law enforcement was tightening
the noose on cross-border criminal networks.
“The fight
against transnational criminals is being won, one arrest at a time,” he said.
The smuggling
of explosives has become big business along the Beitbridge corridor, with
syndicates exploiting truckers and cross-border chaos to sneak in deadly cargo
meant for illegal gold and chrome pits.
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