By A Correspondent- Police in Mutare has in the last one month been fighting the smuggling of second hand clothes across the Zimbabwe – Mozambique border and 1 688 bales with an estimated wholesale street value of US$ 422 000 have been impounded.

The impounded goods comprised second hand clothes and second hand shoes. Manicaland Provincial Police Spokesperson Inspector Luxson Chananda confirmed the seizures.

He said that there are 1 400 bales that were impounded last month alone and a further 288 bales were impounded in the last two weeks following Police ambushes along the border near Mutare. He said that the 1 400 bales were accounted from five trucks and six people were arrested.

Last week on Sunday Police impounded 256 bales and a further32 were dumped at 9pm on the same day by smugglers who fled after spotting advancing members of the Zimbabwe National Army.

First to be arrested on Sunday was Adlight Muunganwa (32) of Chikanga 3 in Mutare and the suspect has been charged with smuggling.

The lorry used by Muunganwa to carry the bales was intercepted at an illegal crossing point at Mary Mount in Mutare, said Chananda.

Recovered from the vehicle were 256 bales of used clothes and 32 of used shoes. On the same day at 9pm, Police manning Forbes Border Post near Mutare were informed of smugglers transporting bales from Mozambique to Zimbabwe and leaving them at a point in a military truck along the border.

Police and ZNA made an ambush and the smugglers fled leaving 32 bales.

-MasvingoMirror