ZACC Arrests ZIMRA Officer, Two Clearing Agents Over Alleged 30-Tonne Clothing Smuggling Syndicate

By Southerton Business Times Reporter | Harare

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has arrested a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) revenue officer and two clearing agents over the alleged smuggling of 140 bales of clothing weighing 30 tonnes from Tanzania into Zimbabwe through the Chirundu One Stop Border Post. The three suspects appeared before the Kariba Magistrates' Court after being arrested on 27 July 2026 and were each granted US$200 bail pending further investigations.

ZACC identified the ZIMRA official as Emmanuel Munyaradzi Charimari, a Revenue Officer stationed at the Chirundu One Stop Border Post, who is facing a charge of criminal abuse of duty as a public officer. According to the anti-graft body, Charimari was on duty at the southbound gate on 14 July 2026 when he allegedly facilitated the unlawful entry of a truck carrying undeclared goods into Zimbabwe without following mandatory customs clearance procedures. The truck was intercepted by ZACC investigators in Chitungwiza the following day, leading to investigations into the alleged smuggling operation.

ZACC alleges that Charimari, who was responsible for granting final clearance, deliberately ignored established customs procedures, allowing the consignment to enter the country without payment of duty. Investigators allege he failed to receive and verify clearance documentation, neglected to check the consignment through the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) and did not record the vehicle's details in the required border registers.

The Commission also arrested two clearing agents, Basil Tawanda Gayihayi and Takudzwa Hamilton Nyikadzino, who are facing fraud charges. According to ZACC, the pair allegedly worked with another suspect, Ishmael Gezani, who remains at large. Investigators allege that after the truck had been lawfully cleared on the Zambian side of the border, Gayihayi created a fraudulent set of customs documents that falsely described the cargo as 50 drums of honey weighing 22,000 kilogrammes destined for South Africa.

ZACC alleges that Gayihayi then instructed Nyikadzino to submit the forged documents to ZIMRA officials at Chirundu, enabling the truck carrying 30 tonnes of clothing to enter Zimbabwe without paying the required customs duty. Authorities believe the alleged misrepresentation of the cargo enabled the goods to bypass normal import procedures.

All three accused appeared before the Kariba Magistrates' Court and were remanded out of custody on US$200 bail each. ZACC said investigations are continuing, with efforts underway to locate and arrest the outstanding suspect. The Commission has intensified investigations into corruption and smuggling at Zimbabwe's border posts as part of broader efforts to curb revenue leakages, strengthen customs compliance and combat organised economic crime. Under Zimbabwean law, all accused persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty by a court of law.

ZACC ZIMRA smuggling case