×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Rice syndicate smashed

News
Police in Harare yesterday smashed a suspected syndicate which was selling sub-standard rice packaged in bags with labels for established imported brands. Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector James Sabau told NewsDay that following a tip off by the public, police raided a shop in the central business district and intercepted 10 tonnes of the rice […]

Police in Harare yesterday smashed a suspected syndicate which was selling sub-standard rice packaged in bags with labels for established imported brands.

Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector James Sabau told NewsDay that following a tip off by the public, police raided a shop in the central business district and intercepted 10 tonnes of the rice which was being loaded onto a truck for delivery.

He said police were keen on interviewing the shop owner, a Tanzanian national Mlengela Anastazi in connection with the matter. Anastazi’s firm Bolstren Investments was reportedly packaging the grain in the capital.

“They packed the rice into 20kg bags. The truck had come to load 10 tonnes for the customer for resale. This is meant to fleece members of the public. People bought this thinking they were 25kgs,” he said.

Sabau said the police will be hard on foreigners engaged in unscrupulous deals in Harare as that will put the country on its knees.

“We don’t expect those foreigners who are coming here to engage in unscrupulous businesses. “If we allow that to happen, the country will come to a standstill. We are investigating to get to the bottom of this. We got information from people who reported this to our licensing unit and if people do likewise, we will win,” Sabau said.

The move by the police came at a time consumers have raised concern over the quality of some rice brands being sold in some of the city retail shops around the country.