White collar smuggling syndicates at borders
SMUGGLING of goods from Mozambique into Zimbabwe has gone a notch higher with sophisticated syndicates faking import documents for bringing in fuel and other commodities, The Manica Post has established.
The goods are being brought into the country without paying duty, thereby depriving the fiscus of millions of dollars in lost revenue.
Two smuggling rings involving fuel and second hand clothes were busted during the past two weeks as law enforcement agents moved a gear up to stop the scourge, which reportedly involves employees from various departments manning the border, including the immigration, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra), private security, police border control and criminal intelligence units.
Last week, two clearing agents were arrested for allegedly smuggling close to 150 000 litres of petrol disguised as degummed soya crude oil, which is exempted from paying duty.
On Sunday, police efforts at the Magamba toll-gate along the Harare-Mutare Highway paid off again when 15 live bullets were fired to stop an unregistered UD truck that was laden with 101 bales of smuggled second-hand clothes.
Naisoni Matayi of Crocodile, Rusape, was driving the truck and ignored the first three warning shots.
The Manica Post understands that white collar criminals are moving contraband in and out of the country via the official entry points.
Using high-tech computer programmes, fake import documents are forged for the contraband to pass through the boom gates in broad daylight.
Surprisingly, the forgery of some of the documents is done in a computer lab located just a stone’s throw away from Mutare Central District Police headquarters.
A clearing agent who spoke to The Manica Post on condition of anonymity when our team visited Forbes Border Post early this week said the corrupt officials only sell each other out when a deal goes sour.
“This is how the police got to know about the petrol and second-hand clothes scandal,” said the agent.
Officer Commanding Manicaland Police, Commissioner Dr Wiklef Makamache admitted that smuggling is rampant at the borders. Dr Makamache said the police force
is putting in place new measures to fight corruption among law enforcement agents.
“Smuggling is rampant and this is because of the nature of our borderline, which is very porous. However, we are now redeploying our officers so that they do not overstay at particular points. At legal entry points like the Forbes Border Post, we are rotating manpower to fight corruption. We have also put in place massive supervision,” said Dr Makamache. We have done this as a joint force with other security forces. We now have roving patrols moving around the border area. Inland, we have also deployed teams.
“In the event that an individual passes through an illegal entry point into Zimbabwe with smuggled goods, the team deployed inland must be able to detect that. Even at the recipient point, which is usually Sakubva, we have also done another deployment. We hope that this arrangement will be able to deal with the syndicates.
“We intend to have more motorised patrols along the borderline. This is still under consideration,” said Dr Makamache.
“However, resources are limited,” he said.
In the fuel smuggling scandal, the police received several tip-offs from whistle-blowers and it took more than two weeks for detectives to bust the syndicate after tracing the movements of the trucks that were travelling from Beira to an unknown destination in Harare.
Information availed to The Manica Post showed that on June 30, three drivers employed by Ipomea Enterprises Private Limited in Bulawayo drove to Beira through Forbes Border Post with the intention of loading petrol destined for Zimbabwe.
One of the trucks was being driven by Beven Munyaradzi Mavhaza (30), while the second truck was being driven by George Muzimbawake (48). Langton Mabee (42) was behind the third truck’s wheel.
On July 4, the three drivers proceeded to Glencore Terminal at Beira Port and Mavhaza’s truck was loaded with 45 000 litres of petrol, Muzimbawake’s truck got 41 000 litres while Mabee’s truck was fuelled with 45 000 litres.
The drivers signed for delivery vouchers which acknowledged that they had loaded petrol.
On July 13, the trio arrived at Machipanda Border Post in Mozambique and parked their trucks as they waited for their clearance papers to be cleared.
Two days later at around 9am, the truck drivers crossed the Mozambican border and again parked so that Zimbabwean agents could process their clearance papers.
Upon receiving the original import documents that declared that the drivers were transporting petrol, the clearance agent and an accomplice allegedly connived to defraud Zimra by altering the import documents so that they would indicate that three were transporting degummed soya crude oil.
Armed with the forged documents, the two subcontracted a clearing agent authorised to clear fuel tankers.
Acting upon the misrepresentation, Zimra officials allowed the tankers to cross into the country.
However, as the trucks were awaiting final clearance at Toas Depot, the fraud was detected.
Police detectives quickly teamed up with Zimra loss control officers to effect arrests.
During interrogation, the drivers indicated that they had declared that they were transporting petrol.
The Manica Post managed to pore over copies of the drivers’ original import documents as well as the forged ones.
The computers used to alter the documents were recovered while the three trucks have since been seized by Zimra under an embargo.
The value of potential prejudice was US$45 000 and it all was recovered.