US$1.5m Gold Seizure Exposes Zimbabwe’s Enduring S...

US$1.5m Gold Seizure Exposes Zimbabwe’s Enduring Smuggling Networks

Oscar J Jeke

Zim Now Reporter

The Zimbabwe Republic Police has intercepted yet another gold smuggling attempt, recovering 15.7 kilogrammes of the precious metal worth nearly US$1.57 million. The seizure adds to a long list of cases that underscore how the illicit trade continues to drain the country of desperately needed foreign currency.

Police confirmed the bust on 19 August 2025, after detectives from the CID Minerals, Flora and Fauna Unit acted on a tip-off that a Toyota Prado Land Cruiser was transporting contraband gold. The operation led to the arrest of three suspects, while the recovered bullion was taken to Fidelity Gold Refinery. Investigations are ongoing.

The case follows a pattern long associated with Zimbabwe’s porous gold trade. While small-scale and artisanal miners are the country’s biggest producers, significant volumes of gold are lost each year through smuggling networks that involve couriers, syndicates, and international buyers.

Independent estimates suggest Zimbabwe loses between 20 and 30 tonnes of gold annually to smuggling. With official gold deliveries to Fidelity Gold Refinery averaging 30–35 tonnes in recent years, this means almost half of the country’s actual production may be slipping out undetected.

This latest recovery comes against the backdrop of several sensational cases in recent years.

In 2020, Henrietta Rushwaya, the president of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation, was arrested at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport attempting to board a flight to Dubai with 6kg of gold in her hand luggage. The case, which remains in the public eye, exposed how even high-level industry players were directly linked to the smuggling chain.

Another case in 2021 saw airport officials nabbed after being implicated in gold trafficking rings that used Harare as a departure point for Dubai and South Africa.

Gold is Zimbabwe’s single largest foreign currency earner, contributing about 40% of export receipts. Yet the steady flow of smuggled bullion deprives the country of tax revenue, royalties, and foreign exchange earnings, worsening an already fragile economy battling foreign currency shortages.

Authorities have since introduced tighter controls, including new gold tracking systems, increased use of electronic invoices, and greater involvement of security agencies. However, critics argue that enforcement remains selective and that syndicates with political protection continue to operate with impunity.