ZIMRA Seizes Smuggled Goods Worth US$2.4 Million
The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) says it has impounded goods valued at approximately US$2.4 million in a multi-agency operation targeting importers and cross-border transporters involved in smuggling and unethical business practices.
According to ZIMRA, the operation has resulted in the seizure of dozens of vehicles, including cross-border buses and haulage trucks, and the confiscation of illicit goods such as foodstuffs and second-hand clothes.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, ZIMRA Commissioner-General Regina Chinamasa said that state warehouses are at full capacity with recovered goods. She said:
We have seized items with a total duty value of ZiG46 242 385 (about US$1,8 million, using the official exchange rate) and US$572 199.
The ultimate goals are to curb smuggling, promote voluntary compliance and encourage ethical business practices.
Once voluntary compliance improves, controls will remain as part of ongoing risk management to sustain compliance.
The operation includes inspecting vehicular traffic, focusing on commercial and passenger transport vehicles on cross-border trade routes, and targeting transporters and non-compliant importers. Said Chinamasa:
ZIMRA’s current operation targets non-compliant importers, not transporters, to combat smuggling.
It involves stopping and inspecting vehicular traffic, particularly commercial and passenger transporters, on cross-border trade routes.
These routine enforcement activities have intensified in response to rising smuggling risks, which threaten legitimate trade, economic development and public safety.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce is leading the task force. They are working with ZIMRA, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), the Consumer Protection Commission, and other law-enforcement agencies.
Authorities have set up 24-hour roadblocks on highways leading into major cities to enforce compliance.
Retail shops are also facing impromptu inspections. Owners must provide documentation to prove their stock was imported legally. Those who fail to comply face steep fines and seizure of goods.
Tags
