Simbarashe Nengomasha, popularly known as Madzibaba Simba, was on Friday arrested by alert security at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International (RGMI) Airport while in possession of more than US$10 000.
Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Act, allows for the repatriation of a maximum of US$2 500.
Zim Morning Post reports that the clergyman was en route to South Africa where he said a church member had died.
Madzibaba Simba alleged that he intended to use the extra money (US$7 500) to cover funeral costs for the deceased church member. He said:
The extra money on me is meant to cover the costs of one of our church members who recently passed on in South Africa.
His arrest comes amid reports by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission that political elites in the country externalised over 7 million United States dollars in the recent past.
The man of the cloth is also arrested barely a week after Ms Hennrietta Rushwaya the President of the Zimbabwe Mining Federation was also arrested at the same airport intending to smuggle 6kgs of gold to Dubai.
More: Zim Morning Post