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A chief miner in Zimbabwe was arrested on charges of attempting to smuggle 6kg of gold into Dubai.
The president of the Zimbabwe Federation of Miners, Henrietta Rushwaya, 53, was arrested at Robert Mugabe International Airport after scanners discovered the mineral in her carry-on luggage.
The police confirmed his arrest.
“The ZRP confirms the arrest of Henrietta Rushwaya at RGM International Airport this afternoon after scanners at the airport checkpoint indicated that there was something in her hand luggage,” police said in a statement.
Gold has a street value of US $ 276,000 to US $ 46 per gram on the local market.
The Zimbabwe Miners Federation is an association of small miners, also known as artisanal miners or “zama zamas”.
According to the police charge sheet, there was an indication of Rushwaya’s intention to smuggle gold into Dubai and his movements were being monitored by detectives. Their bags were scanned and purified gold was found.
When questioned, she said that she was only a runner for a person named “Ali Japan” and that she should leave the suitcase at Dubai airport, where it would be received by an anonymous person.
Small-scale miners account for 60% of gold deliveries to the state, but they are also accused of smuggling gold into South Africa en route to Dubai.
According to government estimates, gold worth at least US $ 100 million is smuggled out of Zimbabwe every month. Addressing small-scale miners in August, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said the government was aware of the transit routes for smuggled gold.
“The sector has the potential to contribute much more if we can stop the leaks. The government continues to implement interventions to curb the smuggling of gold to Dubai through South Africa, ”he said.
Rushwaya, who is also a member of the ruling Zanu-PF, is no stranger to the controversy. As head of the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA), she was the mastermind of Asiagate, a match-fixing scandal in 2012. The Zimbabwean national team played in unknown tournaments in Asia where players and coaches received bribes to launch matches. He was given a lifetime suspension from soccer.
TimesLIVE
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