Police in Harare have launched investigations into their Mutare-based counterparts following reports of smuggling of second-hand clothes from Mozambique.
According to documents shown to NewsDay, the probe was triggered by an incident in which a senior officer, only identified as Assistant Inspector Mutindimuri of the Police Protection Unit in Mutare and a Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) officer, Second Lieutenant Gandi of 33 Infantry Batallion, were linked to a 16-bale contraband of second-hand clothes intercepted in Mutare on April 3.
After a tip-off about the contraband hidden at Maanda Pfukutos house at Liconhill plot, Border Streams, police raided the property and found Mutindimuri and Gandi at the house.
On arrival, there were several people at Pfukutos house with a Toyota Hiace without seats parked in front of the house.
Pfukuto led police into his house for the search, and 16 bales were found in one of the rooms. Pfukuto indicated that the bales belonged to one Duncan.
A Sergeant Muchara who led the probe team telephoned the office requesting for transport to carry the bales of clothes.
But before the police vehicle arrived, the accused allegedly became hostile and assaulted the detectives before the goods were whisked away.
It is understood a ZNA member confronted Pfukuto and told him that no more searches were to be conducted in his house and demanded keys to the rooms. The ZNA member took the keys from Pfukuto and disappeared into darkness.
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At that point, Gandi accused the police detectives of working for the opposition by bringing in arms of war into the country, while Mutindimuri demanded to see Mucharas identity card which he confiscated and went away with.
An internal PGHQ report numbered 548/12 and dated April 3 2012, reads:
It is evident that members of the security forces deployed along the border line with Mozambique are involved in smuggling. Assistant Inspector Mutindimuri is heavily connected to Zimbabwe National Army smuggling syndicates that are facilitating the illegal activities.
The incident is the third inside two weeks, all involving security forces patrolling the border area.
According to the documents, the officer-in-charge Mutare Rural District Police, Superintendent Tayatara, and Major Makore of the ZNA Border Control Unit were briefed on the latest incidents and visited the site, but the latter allegedly declined to identify army officers involved in the scam.
However, acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Enoch Chishiri said he had heard of the matter, but did not have finer details.
