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Police in Mutare said today they had intercepted 174 bales of second hand clothes smuggled from Mozambique.

The bales were smuggled into the country at an illegal border crossing point in Chambuta in Chipinge via two trucks – a Nissan UD 40 and a Mercedes Benz Sprinter.

Police said the drivers of the vehicles fled when they were stopped at a check point.

Manicaland province police spokesperson Wiseman Chinyoka said police had been tipped off about the trucks, and set up a road block to intercept them.

“Our intelligence operatives received information to the effect that the two vehicles had crossed into the country via an illegal entry point carrying smuggled bales,” said Chinyoka.

He said police officers laid an ambush along Chipinge road and the vehicles arrived at the checkpoint at around 2am and were stopped.

“When police approached the vehicles, they discovered that the drivers had jumped (off) and vanished in the bush leaving the cars idling,” Chinyoka said.

The team searched the two vehicles and discovered 174 bales of second hand clothes bales.

The vehicles were taken to Mutare Central Police station and handed over to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority. – New Ziana