Smuggled Goods: Govt Agencies to Conduct Door-to-door Raids
Government has initiated a door-to-door crackdown to confiscate smuggled goods that are increasingly flooding the country, especially during the festive season.
Individuals found in possession of smuggled items will face imprisonment without the option of bail.
This operation comes in response to huge losses of up to US$1 billion due to smuggling activities along the borders that the country is incurring annually.
The crackdown coincides with the peak season for smuggling, as many Zimbabweans return home for the Christmas and New Year holidays, often bringing goods from South Africa and other neighbouring countries.
Addressing journalists yesterday, Tafadzwa Muguti, the Permanent Secretary for Presidential Affairs in the Office of the President, announced that a taskforce has been deployed to all major border posts and key roads to prevent the entry of smuggled goods.
Smuggled Goods: Govt Agencies to Conduct Door-to-door Raids
The operation will also target wholesalers, supermarkets, and tech shops, with smuggled products including a variety of food items, clothing, drugs, beverages, fertilisers, cement, vehicles, electrical gadgets, and solar panels.
Last month Government formed a taskforce led by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to lead the crackdown on smuggling.
The taskforce includes various Government agencies such as the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), and the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC).
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Muguti warned Government officials against engaging in corrupt practices, stating that surveillance systems have been implemented across roadblocks and within the transport sector.
