MMCZ intercepts 18 mineral smuggling cases in eight months

Source: MMCZ intercepts 18 mineral smuggling cases in eight months – herald

Business Reporter

The Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) has recorded 18 cases of suspected mineral smuggling and irregular cargo movement between January and August 2026.

According to the MMCZ’s official surveillance report, the illicit operations primarily involved lithium, chrome, silica, copper and aluminium scrap metal.

MMCZ general manager Dr Nomusa Moyo confirmed that the agency detected serious violations at key exit points.

“Offences included movement without valid documentation, misuse or falsification of export papers, cargo misdeclaration and attempted movement of unbeneficiated mineral ore,” Dr Moyo said.

MMCZ noted that paper records alone failed to expose illicit trade, forcing inspectors to conduct physical searches at exit points.

“Documentation alone was insufficient to detect cargo substitution, incorrect export documents and cases where mineral ore was presented as processed concentrate,” Dr Moyo said.

The report detailed several high-profile interceptions executed by inspectors at major transit routes:

On 27 July, at Forbes Border Post, inspectors stopped a haulage truck carrying 33 tonnes of raw lithium spodumene ore.

“The consignment was being transported using photocopied export papers purporting to cover lithium concentrate,” Dr Moyo said, adding that the handling agent was arrested.

On 3 August at Forbes Border Post, security forces seized a truck carrying three tonnes of raw lithium ore and 28 tonnes of spodumene concentrate.

The MMCZ confirmed that the involved company “subsequently pleaded guilty to smuggling and was fined.”

On 20 August at Beitbridge Border Post, officials impounded an export truck carrying 36.88 tonnes of copper and aluminium scrap bound for South Africa.

The vehicle had no supporting documentation for the cargo and had reportedly been presented as an empty truck.

MMCZ placed an official embargo on a 1,500-tonne chrome concentrate stockpile in Darwendale while criminal investigations remain ongoing.

Dr Moyo said that the MMCZ is maintaining a zero-tolerance approach to protect the country’s mineral wealth and enforce local processing laws.

“The corporation will continue to strengthen measures to prevent illegal mineral exports through physical border inspections, mine-level monitoring, intelligence-led surveillance, sampling, mineral verification and joint enforcement operations,” she said.

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