Zimpapers Logo

Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
Two South African based truck drivers have been fined R15,000 each for smuggling Bronclear, commonly known as Bronco and an assorted flea market wares worth $150,000 through Beitbridge border post.

Bronco is a cough mixture which has become a popular hallucination inducement drug with many drunkards in many countries.

Abjay Matabeya, 29, and Priviledge Dhliwayo, 32, who are employed by Lionsden Freight (PVT) Ltd of Number 17 Pamona Road, Pamona in South Africa had been contracted by one Amos Gura of Marlborough in Harare to ship the contraband into Zimbabwe.

They were both convicted on their own plea of guilty to a joint charge of smuggling when they appeared before Beitbridge resident magistrate, Gloria Takundwa.

Takundwa fined Matabeya and Dhliwayo R15,000 each or three months in prison should they default.

The smuggled goods were forfeited to state as part of the sentence.

Charges against their accomplice, Taurai Chaikosa, a Beitbridge-based customs clearing agent, were withdrawn after plea for lack of incriminating evidence.

Chaikosa had earlier been arrested for facilitating the smuggling of the consignment using recycled customs documents. The State also did not press charges against Gura as it failed to link him to the smuggling offence.

Prosecuting, Jabulani Mberesi said on April 29, Gura bought an assortment of goods including 2,000 boxes of Frimax chips which he loaded onto a South African truck. Mberesi said the truck was being driven by Matabeya who was being assisted by Dhliwayo.

He then contracted Chaikosa to facilitate the transportation of the consignment to Zimbabwe.

Upon reaching Beitbridge border post on May 3, the two truck drivers did not declare the goods they were carrying and instead used recycled customs documents to smuggle the contraband.

They were intercepted by alert police detectives when they were about to leave the border post who then referred the truck to the Zimra Container Depot for physical examination.

A total of 1,578 boxes of Frimax chips, 797 boxes by 50 of Bronclear, 1,051 pairs of shoes, a box with hand bags, a box loaded with cosmetics, three boxes with undergarments, 12 boxes of satchels, two bales of satchels, two bales of handbags and four bales of hats worth $149,784,72 were discovered in the container.

Matabeya and Dhliwayo were then asked to produce customs clearing documents. They produced recycled documents, resulting in their arrest. The state stood to lose $30,927 in revenue.