A Zimbabwean customs clearing agent based in Beit Bridge, who allegedly attempted to smuggle a consignment of illegal cigarettes worth about R100 000 into South Africa through the Beitbridge border post, appeared in court on Monday.

Demetria Rutsvara (33) of House 338, Pine Road, in the border town was not asked to plead to contravening a section of the Customs and Excise Act (smuggling) when she appeared before magistrate Ignatius Mhene at Beit Bridge. The case was postponed to March 28, and Rutsvara was released on bail of 50 million Zimbabwe dollars.

The prosecutor, Mr Mazwi Goto, stated that on January 29, Rutsvara allegedly convinced an accomplice, David Huni, to assist her in hiring a trailer from a South African company on the pretext that they are going to ferry stone sculptures to South Africa. On the same day, the driver of the South African company drove the truck, which was towing the trailer, to Beitbridge. The trailer was carrying sealed containers, whose invoice indicated that it was carrying sculptures destined for South Africa. The court heard that the consignment was to be cleared by the accused on both sides of the border. However, as a normal customs procedure, the clearing documentation was supposed to be done in Harare, since it was the point of dispatch.

It is alleged that Rutsvara, knowing that the truck contained cigarettes, went on to forge the documents at the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority in Beit Bridge as well as the importation documents required on the South African side in which she purported to be importing stone sculptures to South Africa, valued at R11 950. As a customs procedure, the truck was taken to the Zimra scanners, where it was eventually intercepted and referred for a physical examination, leading to the discovery of the 350 boxes of cigarettes. Rutsvara, who was on the site, absconded but was eventually arrested.

Rutsvara’s alleged accomplice, David Huni, is currently on the run.