Zimpapers Logo

Nozwelo Hadebe, Chronicle Reporter
FOUR Zambians and a Victoria Falls resident yesterday appeared in court for smuggling 440kg of sugar into the neighbouring country.

Evans Chileshe (27) of C431 Libuya, Livingstone, Zambia, was jointly charged with Offias Ncube (43) of 1363 Chinotimba suburb after being caught with 240kg on Wednesday last week.

Clement Gumbwe (35), Emmanuel Kasweka (25) and Ascent Tembo (27), all from Linda in Livingstone, were jointly charged after being intercepted with 200kg of sugar last week.

They all pleaded guilty.

The Magistrate remanded them in custody to today for sentencing.

Chileshe told the court that he wanted to sell the sugar to raise money for the upkeep of his family including a sick grandmother.

Ncube said he was hired to transport the sugar and did not know that it was being smuggled.

Prosecuting, Mr David Tivakudze said the crimes were committed separately.

“On the 4th of April at around 11AM at the Victoria Falls border, the accused persons acting with common purpose with seven others who are on the run, smuggled 240x1kg of Hullets brown sugar from Zimbabwe to Zambia,” said Mr Tivakudze.

He said Ncube was arrested at the crime scene by police officers on patrol while the other seven ran away leaving the packets of sugar.

Chileshe later approached the police demanding the smuggled sugar, leading to his arrest.

Gumbwe, Kasweka and Tembo were arrested on Saturday in a bush after being found with 120x2kg packets and 200x1kg packets of Hullets brown sugar which they intended to smuggle to Zambia.

The sugar was confiscated by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority.

Last week, 26 Zambians from Livingstone appeared before the Victoria Falls Magistrates’ Courts for trying to smuggle sugar into their country.

They were all convicted and fined varying amounts of money. — @nonoe_hadebe