A manager with a TM Superma-rket in Dangamvura, Mutare, was this week arrested for selling large quantities of sugar to suspected Mozambican smugglers.
And in a separate incident, a Grain Marketing Board employee at Masvingo depot was arrested yesterday after 18 stolen bags of maize were found at his house in Mucheke suburb.
Police are intensifying efforts to curb the smuggling out of basic goods.
The TM manager, Alexander Tunzi, was arrested on Tuesday night and was detained in custody as police continued with their investigations. He was expected to appear in court yesterday.
It is alleged that Tunzi received about 15 tonnes of sugar from Chiredzi on Monday and sold 2 000 kilogrammes to the public on Tuesday.
Members of the public, who had seen the delivery truck off-loading the sugar, were not amused and continued queueing in anticipation of more sugar.
Police confirmed the arrest and said on Tuesday at around 12 noon, Tunzi later sold 2 000 kg of sugar to a Mozambican only identified as John.
At around 4 pm, another Mozam-bican, David Musa, arrived at the shop with a Nissan lorry, registration number 523-383S, which he had hired to ferry the sugar to Honde Valley.
Police suspect that he intended to smuggle the sugar into Mozambique.
Provincial police spokesman, Inspector Edmund Maingire, said police received a tip-off from members of the public who had seen people loading the sugar in the truck and went to the supermarket to investigate.
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Tunzi and Musa were arrested and at the time of going to press, police were recording warned and cautioned statements in the presence of their lawyer, Mr Andrew Makoni of Makoni and associates.
The truck and the sugar, which was valued at $207 000, were confiscated.
In Masvingo, police spokesman inspector Learn Ncube confirmed that Clemence Charuka who is employed as a sales representative was found with 18 bags of maize, which were meant for the rural folk.
It was discovered that Charuka was conniving with a lorry driver to steal the maize by reserving some bags at various selling points, which they would then sell for their own profit at exorbitant prices.
The official price of a 25kg bag of maize is $315 but they would sell it at $800, which they would convert to their own use.
Inspector Ncube said the police were alerted by an anonymous caller that some bags of mealie meal were in Charuka's house.
Other bags were found at the driver's house but he has not yet been arrested since he was out of town on business.
The arrest of Charuka comes barely a week after the arrest of another businessman and six others for hiding salt in Masvingo.
