Police want more time to investigate car smuggling racket

THREE of the suspects who were nabbed in a suspected car smuggling cartel will only be back in court in April with police seeking more time to wrap up its investigations.

The trio – Brian Matongo (41), Tinashe Kanda (41) and Elvis Jieman (38) - are suspected to be part of a cartel which smuggled cars into the country and stole registration plates from the Office of the President and Cabinet.

They appeared before magistrate Donald Ndirowei who remanded them, at the instance of the State, to April 10.

Prosecutor Anesu Chirenje applied for the postponement seeking more time for the police to wrap up investigations.

Allegations are that sometime, in 2018 the trio connived with other authorities from Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (ZINARA), Central Vehicle Registration (CVR) as well as The Central Intelligence Office of the President of Zimbabwe (CIO) and fraudulently registered smuggled different vehicles into the system of the aforementioned institutions.

On December 12, 2017, Matongo acting in connivance with Wisdom Ndebele who is still at large, allegedly smuggled a Toyota Fotuner with Chassis number AHTJA3GSX00232098 from South Africa into Zimbabwe.

In a bid to benefit from ZIMRA, ZINARA and CVR exemptions of tax, licences and toll fees, the two connived with Kanda who then supplied vehicle registration book and number plate AFC 0405 which belongs to The Office of the President and Cabinet.

Subsequently, Jieman evaded payment of tax, vehicle licences fees as well as toll fees nationwide for a period extending from December 2018 to August 2023.