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Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau

SOUTH Africa’s police unit, the Hawks, have arrested a 55-year-old Zimbabwean truck driver with a contraband of drugs worth an estimated R7 million, which he was transporting through the Beitbridge Border Post.

Hawks spokesperson, Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa identified the suspect as Anymore Nyambawa.
He said the man who was arrested on Tuesday last week and appeared in the Musina Magistrate’s Court on Friday facing a charge of dealing in drugs where he was remanded in custody to March 14.

South Africa police intercept smuggled cigarettes from Zimbabwe

“It is alleged that on March 4, 2025, the police officials attached to Beitbridge Port of Entry and the South African Revenue Service (Sars) officials stopped a truck that was driven from Zimbabwe to South Africa at weigh-bridge,” said Warrant Officer Mmuroa.

The recovered cigarettes

“During search, police found 23 bags that contained unknown substances suspected to be drugs. The Musina-based Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation, Polokwane-based Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation and Musina-based Local Criminal Record Centre were summoned to the scene for assistance.

“The samples of the recovered substance were taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for tests. The FSL was confirmed that substances contain a precursor chemical called Methacolone used to produce drugs.”

He said the substances weighed at over 1173 kilograms estimated to the street value of over R7 million.
Nyambawa was put under arrest for dealing in drugs.

Members of the South African Police Service count the smuggled cigarette packets and (below) the cigarettes in the vehicle that was used to smuggle them

The incident comes a few weeks after another Zimbabwean truck driver, Jiant Janos Bimha (44) was arrested for smuggling a load of cigarettes worth R14 million.

Bimha was arrested on January 18, 2025, after he was allegedly found in possession of illicit cigarettes at the Beitbridge Border Post soon after entering the neighbouring country.

Some of the recovered cigarettes

Charges against Bimha are that he was driving a white truck with a tanker trailer when he was stopped by the police at the port of entry.

Upon being asked about his load, Bimha claimed the tanker was empty but the police suspected that it was loaded. They then directed him to the ramp zone at the commercial side and searched the vehicle leading to the discovery of 710 boxes of Remington Gold brand cigarettes worth R14, 449, 363-00.

The police have since confiscated the 710 boxes of Remington Gold illicit cigarettes and a truck tanker valued at R2 500 000.