HARARE – The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) has seized goods valued at approximately US$2.4 million as part of an ongoing multi-agency operation aimed at targeting smugglers and non-compliant importers engaged in unethical business practices.
The operation, which has resulted in the confiscation of illicit goods, including foodstuffs and second-hand clothing, also led to the impounding of several vehicles, including cross-border buses and haulage trucks.
Zimra Commissioner-General, Ms Regina Chinamasa, confirmed the success of the operation, revealing that the goods seized included items with a total duty value of ZW$46,242,385 (approximately US$1.8 million at the official exchange rate) and US$572,199 in undeclared revenue.
“Our State warehouses are at full capacity with recovered goods,” Ms Chinamasa told The Sunday Mail. “The ultimate goals are to curb smuggling, promote voluntary compliance, and encourage ethical business practices. Once compliance improves, the controls will remain in place as part of ongoing risk management to ensure sustained compliance.”
The operation, which focuses on inspecting vehicular traffic on cross-border trade routes, is designed to target non-compliant importers and prevent smuggling activities that undermine legitimate trade, harm economic development, and pose public safety risks.
“Zimra’s current operation is specifically targeting non-compliant importers, rather than transporters, to combat smuggling,” Ms Chinamasa explained. “We are intensifying inspections of commercial and passenger transporters to ensure that all imports comply with customs regulations.”
In addition to reducing smuggling, the operation aims to regularise imports, ensuring that all importers pay the appropriate duties and taxes. This move is intended to protect consumers from harmful products such as hazardous foodstuffs and cosmetics, while also safeguarding businesses from unfair competition stemming from counterfeit or substandard goods. It further supports legitimate traders by addressing issues such as counterfeiting and intellectual property violations.
The Government, through a high-level task force on business malpractices, launched this multi-agency initiative last year to clamp down on unethical business practices and smuggling. The task force is led by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and involves collaboration between Zimra, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), the Consumer Protection Commission, and other law-enforcement agencies.
As part of the operation, businesses using parallel market exchange rates and those found selling counterfeit, underweight, or unlabelled goods are also being targeted. To ensure compliance, authorities have set up 24-hour roadblocks along highways leading into major cities and are conducting impromptu inspections of retail shops. Business owners are required to provide documentation proving the legality of their stock. Failure to comply results in hefty fines and confiscation of goods.
Authorities are determined to curb the detrimental impact of smuggling on the economy and consumer welfare, reinforcing the importance of compliance to sustain fair trade and strengthen the national economy.
