A Harare businessman was arrested at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport after allegedly trying to leave the country with thousands of undeclared US dollars.
Victor Magigwana (32) appeared before Harare Regional Magistrate Jesse Kufa facing charges of unlawfully exporting foreign currency in breach of the Exchange Control Act. He was released on US$300 bail.
Prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi told the court that detectives from the CID Commercial Crime Division received a tip-off on March 14 that Magigwana intended to smuggle cash out of Zimbabwe through the airport.
Police alerted airport security and kept the suspect under surveillance from the time he entered the terminal until he reached the boarding area.
He was stopped moments before boarding a Tanzania Airways flight to Dar es Salaam and searched.
Officers discovered about US$80,000 stashed in his handbag, but Magigwana reportedly had no clearance from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to export the money.
ZIMRA officials later seized US$78,000 under a notice of seizure, returning US$2,000 to the accused in line with the legal travel allowance.
