A joint operation by the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) and the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s Minerals, Flora, and Fauna Unit (MFFU) has led to the arrest of Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) officials for their alleged involvement in a chrome concentrate smuggling operation.
The operation has exposed a sophisticated scheme where ZIMRA officials and clearing agents facilitated the smuggling of 37 truckloads of chrome concentrates, valued at approximately USD 167,280.70, using forged documents. The key accused, Tawanda Mupingo, a ZIMRA official, is out on bail awaiting trial.
According to Dr. Nomusa Moyo, Acting General Manager of MMCZ, the operation has been meticulously planned to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice. “We have deployed a specialized team to Beitbridge Border Post to investigate and close in on the smuggling ring,” Dr. Moyo stated.
Mupingo is alleged to have unlawfully extended a ZimAlloys Bill of Entry without proper authorization, allowing the use of fraudulent paperwork for the smuggling activities. The operation also involved a South African broker and local agents who procured chrome concentrates from Mvurwi and Mutorashanga, coordinating with ZIMRA officials and clearing agents at Beitbridge.
Three clearing agents who facilitated the paper work to smuggle the chrome were arrested and taken to Beitbridge court in June 2024 and released on $100USD bail each.
MMCZ was established in 1983 to monitor and promote export of all minerals produced in Zimbabwe, with the exception of gold and silver which are handled by Fidelity Printers and Refiners.
With over 60 different mineral products, Zimbabwe has been losing out on revenue from illegal export of these minerals, owing to leakages at porous ports of exit.
MMCZ has not been allowed to have permanently stationed inspectors at the country’s ports of exit, with stakeholders arguing this move would affect the ease of doing business.
