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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
A MAN from Gutu has been fined R21,000 for attempting to smuggle 275 boxes of export quality cigarettes worth $27,500 to South Africa through the Beitbridge Border post. Tawonga Maponga, 32, of Chief Gadzingo, Gutu was arrested at around 3PM last Wednesday afternoon at the Zimbabwe Revenue authority export checkpoint.

He was convicted on his own plea of guilty to smuggling and possession of goods liable to excise duty when he appeared before Beitbridge resident magistrate, Gloria Takundwa. Maponga was slapped with a R15,000 fine for smuggling and R6,000 for possession of goods liable for excise duty.

The cigarettes were forfeited to the State as part of the sentence. In the event that the accused fails to pay the fine he risks imprisonment for one week. Prosecutor , Jabulani Mberesi told the court that on November 25, the accused arrived at Beitbridge border post driving a South Africa registered truck which was carrying some 275 boxes of Pacific cigarettes.

The contraband was concealed in a false compartment in the truck which had been modified for that purpose. The court further heard that while at the border, Maponga went through all the immigration and custom formalities without declaring the cigarettes.

He then drove the truck to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) export check point where he declared that the truck was empty. The vehicle was then taken for scanning where the machine revealed that the trailer had a false compartment with several goods.

Mberesi said the vehicle was then referred to the container depot for physical examinations leading to the discovery of 275 boxes of Pacific cigarettes. He added that Maponga was requested to produce documents authorising him to deal in export quality cigarettes and he failed resulting in his arrest.

The cigarettes were worth $27,500 and the State stood to lose $22,000 in export duty. The truck and the contraband were in turn seized by Zimra. It is understood that the South African Revenue Services charges high rates on cigarettes imports which has resulted in a marked increase in cases of smuggling between Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Investigations by our Harare Bureau reveal that most of these cigarettes are repackaged when they get to South Africa before being shipped to either Europe or Asia. A box of cigarettes is sold for an average of $135 on the official market (Zimbabwe) and R8,000 in South Africa.