A fuel smuggling scheme worth tens of thousands of dollars landed a Harare businessman behind bars after authorities caught him red-handed. Shepherd Gavaza fooled border officials for months by pretending his massive fuel shipments were headed to Zambia when he actually planned to sell them locally. The 39-year-old Westgate resident walked free on a mere 300-dollar bail bond despite allegedly cheating the government out of nearly 70,000 dollars. Magistrate Ruth Moyo will decide his fate when he returns to face the music on August 4. Prosecutors say the elaborate con job ran for most of 2023 before falling apart.
The cunning operator rented a massive Volvo truck and fuel tanker from Trip Trans Company boss Tiripano Shadreck for 3,000 dollars monthly. Gavaza sweet-talked his way into the deal by claiming he needed the vehicles for legitimate cross-border fuel transport to Zambia. Revenue authority investigators eventually traced 132,855 litres of illegally imported petrol and diesel back to the rented tanker. The suspect moved his contraband through Forbes Border Post in Mutare while filing false paperwork claiming transit status. Zimbabwe Revenue Authority officials slapped Shadreck with a massive 68,686-dollar bill since his vehicles carried the smuggled goods.
The cunning operator rented a massive Volvo truck and fuel tanker from Trip Trans Company boss Tiripano Shadreck for 3,000 dollars monthly. Gavaza sweet-talked his way into the deal by claiming he needed the vehicles for legitimate cross-border fuel transport to Zambia. Revenue authority investigators eventually traced 132,855 litres of illegally imported petrol and diesel back to the rented tanker. The suspect moved his contraband through Forbes Border Post in Mutare while filing false paperwork claiming transit status. Zimbabwe Revenue Authority officials slapped Shadreck with a massive 68,686-dollar bill since his vehicles carried the smuggled goods.
