SMUGGLERS are now a common sight in Beitbridge, just like Harare’s illegal taxi operators, commonly known as mushikashika that operate in daylight as police watch.
News in Depth BY Obey Manayiti
A recent investigation by The Standard revealed that smuggling syndicates have mushroomed at Zimbabwe’s busiest port of entry following a government import ban imposed in July.
While smuggling was common along the country’s porous border with South Africa through illegal entry points, the syndicates now have the audacity to transport their loot through the heavily manned Beitbridge Border Post.
The syndicates are big and involve Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) officials, police, state security agents, soldiers, traders and members of the public, our investigations revealed.
At illegal entry points along the Limpopo River, the illicit movement of goods has become so rampant that some villagers have set up businesses such as shebeens and tuckshops to serve the smuggling kingpins.
Various sources told this paper that the situation worsened after the introduction of Statutory Instrument 64 of 2016 in July.
The controversial law prohibits the importation of certain goods ranging from groceries, building materials and furniture without an import licence.
The government claimed the law would boost the local industry’s production levels depressed by years of economic stagnation, but if the situation in Beitbridge is anything to go by, the move could have been an exercise in futility.
Cheap Chinese-made products and those bought from neighbouring South Africa, including those banned by Zimbabwe, easily find their way into the border town.
The bulk of the contraband is moved to major cities and towns in Zimbabwe and beyond despite a litany of police roadblocks.
This article was published in The Standard
Click Link for more https://www.thestandard.co.zw/2016/12/04/face-face-beitbridges-daring-smuggling-syndicates/
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