The Zimbabwean government has launched a door-to-door crackdown to confiscate smuggled goods flooding the country, especially during the festive season.
Those found in possession of smuggled items face imprisonment without the option for bail.
The operation will also target wholesalers, supermarkets, and tech shops, seizing smuggled products including food items, clothing, drugs, beverages, fertilizers, cement, vehicles, electrical gadgets, and solar panels.
Addressing journalists in Harare on Wednesday, Tafadzwa Muguti, the Permanent Secretary for Presidential Affairs in the Office of the President, announced that a taskforce has been deployed to all major border posts and key roads to prevent the entry of smuggled goods.
The taskforce comprises various government agencies, including the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), and the Consumer Protection Commission. Said Muguti (via The Herald):
This December, we will have inter-governmental agencies stationed at our major border posts to ensure zero tolerance for smugglers. The task force will conduct door-to-door inspections of all goods in wholesale and retail shops.
I want to issue a stern warning to Diasporans returning for the holidays. We often see rising prices and increased black market trading as they come back.
Many choose not to declare their groceries and attempt to smuggle in illicit alcohol and other items, be aware that there will be no fines for violations at roadblocks; rather, those caught will be arrested on the spot. You risk spending Christmas behind bars if you engage in these activities.
Muguti said that the crackdown aims to protect the local industry from cheap, often counterfeit products that pose health risks to consumers.
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