Harare — THE continued crackdown on traders circumventing duty payment on imported goods by the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority in Mbare has led to the confiscation of 874 bales of clothing believed to have been smuggled into the country.

The State suffered a prejudice of more than US$260 000 in unpaid duty when the clothes entered the country.

Anti-Corruption Commission officers, acting on a tip-off, approached a haulage truck offloading close to 200 bales of clothes suspected to have been smuggled from Mozambique through the Nyamapanda Border Post at around 1am in Mbare yesterday.

Earlier searches over the weekend led to the recovery of more bales stashed in cloakrooms and flats near Mupedzanhamo Flea Market.

Commissioner Bessie Nhandara of the Anti-Corruption Commission confirmed the seizure of the goods, adding that two people were expected to appear in court today in connection with the alleged smuggling of clothing into the country.

"We confirm recovering bales of clothes from Mbare and two suspects are set to appear in court in connection with the smuggling of some of the bales.

"We would like to thank our stakeholders for making reports and supplying us with information on corrupt and shady activities occurring in the country.

"We are concerned about the revenue that Government is losing and we are wondering how such imported goods are coming into the country without payment of duty.

"They even get to Harare without being detected. We encourage members of the public to continue supporting us in the fight against corruption," said Comm Nhandara.

The bales are being kept at a safe place in the city and will be produced in court as exhibits.

The raids followed a blitz launched last week by Zimra to stamp out rampant tax evasion by the informal sector.

Various flea markets and unregistered retailers in and around Harare have since been raided.

Traders who failed to produce proof of clearance at the various ports of entry had their wares impounded.

Taxmen went around Mupedzanhamo Market and surrounding shops collecting the dues and fining individuals who failed to meet the deadline for tax remittance.

Indigenous Business Women's Organisation president Ms Jane Mutasa has castigated the Zimra blitz, saying the body should itself be investigated for failing to catch the smugglers at the border posts or airports.

Addressing delegates to the IBWO empowerment conference in Harare last Thursday, Ms Mutasa accused Zimra of harassing women "who are desperately trying to eke out a living in these hard economic times".

"Zimra should stop harassing people but instead conduct an inquiry into how goods are being smuggled into the country because it is the customs officials who are engaging in underhand deals that allow people to bring in goods without declaring," she added.

Ms Mutasa urged Zimra to widen its clampdown to include big business operators who she said were equally guilty of smuggling goods but got away with it because they were "well connected".

Contacted for comment, Zimra head of communications Mr Robson Mhandu said the authority's actions were above board.

"What we are doing is we want to get as much revenue as possible and this clampdown is part of that endeavour. Zimra wants to get what is called presumptive tax from people who illegally import goods into the country because these people are denying the country the much-needed revenue.

"What these people do is that they spread their goods proportionally amongst themselves so that they enter the country duty-free, hence it is the State that suffers," Mr Mhandu said.