AT least eight people were arrested at a road block in Makuti for smuggling of bags of clothes worth around $80 000, prejudicing the state of a similar amount in unpaid duty.

The eight, including Ronald Mushore (34), Aneti Zinyoro (36), Lucia Phiri, Loveness Sani, Dudzai Chimudende, Jesca Sani (41), Anna Mudzinganyama (30) and Samson Perekamoyo (38) were arrested for contravening Section 182 of the Customs and Excise Act for smuggling.

They were arrested at a roadblock mounted near the 289km peg, Makuti, along the Harare-Chirundu Road on Tuesday morning after searches by a joint security forces team led to the discovery of nine sacks of clothes.

Upon inquiry, the driver and conductor of a Chigubhu cross-border bus implicated the eight travellers.

They were asked to produce declaration forms but they failed leading to their arrest.

Investigations have so far shown that the eight managed to smuggle the goods through Chirundu Border Post.

Further investigations are still underway.