By 
The recent gold smuggling attempt by suspended Zimbabwe Miners Federation president Henrietta Rushwaya did not only expose massive illegal resource leakages by top officials but also customs duty leakages through security details.
By Tongai Mwenje
In denying her bail prosecutors told the court that the smuggling attempt was well-orchestrated by a wide network involving members of the security services, airport officials and others masquerading as top security agents.
Security personnel manning the closed-circuit television monitoring system were allegedly instructed to switch it off as she walked to the VIP exit point.
In another interesting revelation, security details at the airport are reported to be living large through these illicit deals – smuggling of goods in and outside the country.
A former taxi business operator at the Robert Mugabe International Airport who preferred anonymity said there are massive unscrupulous practices at the airport involving top security agents, National Handling Services, ZIMRA, CarSafe and travellers.
“Corruption at Airport is complicated but easy to detect, security details – those in plain clothes approach travellers (arrivals) and ask if they have any goods to be smuggled. If there are any goods to be smuggled, the security personnel will push the trolley on behalf of the traveller past ZIMRA officials,” the source revealed.
After successfully bypassed the taxman, the team would share the proceeds among themselves.
“They will share the proceeds from their illicit deal. These are shared among the smuggler, ZIMRA officials, security services on duty, Immigration officers, NHS and CarSafe officers,” he further revealed.
According to him, the CarSafe team aids the illicit deals by allowing the vehicles to transport the smuggled goods to park on arrivals instead of the authorised CarSafe car park.
The activities are mainly carried out by officers in plainclothes while those on duty get a small token in the event that they suspect something.
He further revealed that top police officers use their influence to whisk away travellers with smuggled goods.
“High ranking police officers in uniforms escort travellers under false pretense knowing very well that no-one will search their coconspirators because of their positions.”
In another custom duty dodging style, travellers conspire with few individuals from the National Handling Services (NHS) who will assist in smuggling the goods in the country for a fee.
The luggage goes straight to a parked vehicle and drives away through the VVIP gate.
It has also emerged that the team at the airport normally avoid police officers to manage X-ray to avoid disturbances.
Another custom duty evasion arrangement involves ZIMRA officers only. These use their offices to steal state funds through undercharging goods.
According to the source, these deals are routinely done during the night using night flights like Kenyan Airways and Fastjet.
The source also further exposed that the major players in these deals are Gulf complex cellphone dealers, PHD Ministries marked vehicles, Pharmacists who smuggle medicines from India via AGS (Air Ground Services).
“These cell phone dealers usually pay $250-00 for each bag containing a large number of cellphones. Usually, those on duty across all Service providers at the Airport especially at critical points share the loot. When I was running my tax business we knew these deals but we were booted out by Airport Taxis with the assistance of the police and CarSafe.”
Comments