A Mutare clearing agent has appeared in court for allegedly facilitating the smuggling of 1,440 tonnes of lithium ore to China through Forbes Border Post using forged Bikita Minerals documents and allegedly offering a US$1,500 bribe to law enforcement officers to release impounded trucks.
Brian Sakarombe, of Mutare, who is self-employed as a clearing agent at Forbes Border Post, appeared before Harare Magistrate Ignitio Mhene facing charges of contravening the Customs and Excise Act.
The State alleges that sometime in April 2026, Sakarombe, working together with Ning Yaokan, alias Tony; Minmin Song, alias Scarlet; Shuvai Muza; and Charlene Tanyaradzwa Chivandire, who are all already on remand, established an illicit, unlicensed mineral processing plant and dispatch warehouse at Plot 5, Cheltenham Park Drive, Ruwa.
The syndicate’s purpose was allegedly to illegally buy, process and smuggle raw, unbeneficiated lithium ore out of Zimbabwe to China.
According to the prosecution, Sakarombe was specifically deployed to Forbes Border Post in Mutare to facilitate the physical passage of the illicit ore across the border by cloning and forging official export documentation purporting to be valid permits from Bikita Minerals and Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe.
Through the fraudulent setup, the syndicate allegedly successfully smuggled 47 trucks carrying 30-tonne loads, plus an additional 30 tonnes cleared on truck ADC 2640/AGK 5609, bringing the total quantity of lithium ore allegedly smuggled out of the country to 1,440 tonnes.
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The alleged offence came to light on July 23, 2026, when two trucks, registration numbers AGB 0762/AAF 7202 and AGZ 7603/AHD 1006, carrying a combined 60 tonnes of lithium ore, arrived at ZIMRA Forbes Border Post and were intercepted by law enforcement officers who discovered the fraudulent documents.
Realising that the shipment had been compromised, Sakarombe allegedly approached the officers and offered a cash bribe of US$1,500 to secure the illegal passage and release of the impounded trucks.
He was immediately arrested at the scene, and the alleged bribe money was recovered and secured as an exhibit.
He is currently on remand for the bribery case at the Mutare Magistrates Court.
Following the interception, investigations led to the recovery of 420 tonnes of unauthorised lithium ore, consisting of 300 tonnes remaining at the Ruwa yard, 60 tonnes from two containers aborted at Lochinvar, and 60 tonnes intercepted at Forbes Border Post.
The industrial processing equipment found on site, comprising a jaw crusher plant, a front-end loader, TLB machines, a heavy-duty generator and 20 wheelbarrows, was seized as alleged instrumentalities of the crime.
The State alleges that the smuggling caused severe financial prejudice to Zimbabwe, although the amount is yet to be fully quantified by Ministry of Mines evaluators.
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