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Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
FIVE municipal employees were arrested at the Victoria Falls Border Post last week after being caught attempting to smuggle a consignment of sweets and a cough mixture popularly known as “Bronco” from Zambia, in a refuse truck.

The “Bronco” has an estimated street value of about $16 000, while the value of the sweets could not be ascertained.

The driver, Clemence Ncube, and four general workers – Justin Sibanda, Nhlalwenhle Mpofu, Delon Ncube and Regis Gumire – had gone to collect refuse from the Victoria Falls Bridge in the morning.

They are suspected to have connived with unnamed Zambians to load the truck with 99 boxes, each with 20 by 200ml bottles of the cough mixture and about 50 boxes of sweets.

The council workers, sources said, covered the contraband with garbage to avoid customs inspection.

Their plan blew up in their faces after Zimbabwe Revenue Authority officers searched the truck following a tip-off.

Police Officer Commanding Victoria Falls District Chief Superintendent Jairos Chiwona confirmed the arrest of the five.

“I can confirm that some municipal workers were intercepted attempting to smuggle some goods and investigations are in progress,” he said.

When our Bulawayo Bureau visited the border post in the afternoon, police had released the truck.

The development irked taxi drivers operating at the border post who claim the truck should not have been released because some taxis have been impounded on allegations of carrying smuggled goods.

The truck was released after the arrest of the crew while the goods were confiscated.

“The truck was carrying litter from the bridge and we suspect there was a tip-off because such things have been happening for some time,” said a source at the border post.

Another source alleged illegal substances were being allowed into the country as Zimra officers accepted bribes.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Zimra employee said the truck was released because it was yet to cross the border.

“The truck was released but the goods were confiscated. The truck hadn’t exited the gate. Technically, they had not smuggled the goods yet. That is why we only confiscated the goods.”

However, the Border Taxis Association (BTA), which operates at the port of entry, alleged favouritism and corruption.

“We are taxi drivers in the business of carrying people and their goods but we have taxis that have been impounded on allegations of smuggling yet the goods would have been brought in through the border in the presence of officers,” said BTA secretary Mr Hatinavashe Taderera.

He said Zimra was demanding $3 000 to release the impounded taxis while storage fees of $10 accumulated daily.

“A majority of the taxis are Honda Fits whose value is less than half the $3 000 demanded by authorities,” said a taxi driver who declined to be named.