Crime Reporter
Police have widened their investigations on a case were it recently unearthed a car smuggling racket at the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR), where database officers would register smuggled vehicles using particulars of registered ones

Sources close to the investigations yesterday said they had launched a massive manhunt for one of the suspects, Portia Chirara (36) of Budiriro 5, Harare believed to be the brains behind the criminal activity.

Chirara, whose whereabouts are still not known, was a Southern Region Trading Company official, who was attached to the CVR.

Southern Region Trading Company is currently managing the CVR database. Chirara was believed to have connived with several criminal elements to fraudulently register vehicles into the CVR database and she is wanted by the CID in connection with the 10 smuggled vehicles.

The Criminal Investigations Department officers believed that a number of vehicles on the country’s roads could have been smuggled using the same method, although investigations have so far led to the discovery of 10 vehicles, including a BMW that was registered as a haulage truck and a Toyota Land Cruiser that was registered as a kombi.

Last week, CID acting spokesperson Detective Assistant Inspector Pretty Rushwaya said Chirara was wanted for fraud involving $53 000 in CVR prejudice.

During the period extending from January to February 2017, Chirara fraudulently registered 10 smuggled motor vehicles at the Central Vehicle Registry. She substituted already registered motor vehicles with particulars of smuggled motor vehicles.

The offence was discovered following investigations and a report was made to the police.

When Chirara learnt that investigations were being instituted, she resigned from work and was never seen again. A number of criminals were nabbed in recent years after they allegedly stole vehicles, especially SUVs. They would then attempt to smuggle the vehicles into Mozambique through Sango Border Post in Chiredzi.

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