12By Nigel PfundeHARARE — A 52-year-old Indian national has been intercepted at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport while allegedly attempting to smuggle 6,597.97 carats of rough diamonds out of Zimbabwe inside an aircraft bound for South Asia.Bharat Keshibha Marani was removed from an Ethiopian Airlines flight on July 30 after airport security and law enforcement officers discovered 12 plastic sachets of diamonds concealed inside a container of thick black paste in his checked luggage.Marani appeared before Harare Regional Magistrate Jessie Kufa on Monday facing three statutory counts: smuggling under the Customs and Excise Act, unlawful possession and dealing in precious stones without a license and contravening the Immigration Act.The court heard that Marani entered Zimbabwe on June 18, 2026 on a 30-day holiday visa valid until July 17.He allegedly remained in the country unlawfully after its expiration before attempting to board the flight to India.The smuggling attempt unraveled when Colleta Machiwana, a security officer with the Aviation Company of Zimbabwe, identified an anomalous object during routine X-ray screening of checked baggage. Machiwana alerted detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Minerals, Flora and Fauna Unit who intercepted Marani after he had already boarded the aircraft.A physical search of the luggage yielded a silver container coated in dark paste ,a tactic frequently employed to bypass airport security scanners.Inside the paste, officers recovered 12 sealed plastic sachets containing unrefined stones. Marani failed to produce any documentation authorizing the legal possession, movement or export of the precious stones.Subsequent forensic examination and valuation by the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) confirmed the contents weighed 1,400 grams (6,597.97 carats), carrying an estimated market value of US$62,456.91.Magistrate Kufa remanded Marani in custody pending the court’s ruling on his formal bail application.
The prosecution indicated that investigations remain active to establish the origin of the gems and potential local syndicates involved.Marani’s court appearance comes amid growing public concern from mineral watchdogs over foreign criminal syndicates operating in the country under the guise of commercial investors.Security agencies and mining analysts warn that several international operatives masquerading as prospective foreign direct investors, have gained access to Zimbabwe’s natural resource sector. These individuals frequently secure VIP treatment, expedited entry and access to restricted commercial zones on the promise of capital injection, only to engage in systemic looting of state resources.Law enforcement authorities have signaled an intensified crackdown at all official ports of entry to curb the illicit outflow of precious minerals, which continues to bleed the national treasury of vital export revenues.bharatmaranhararemagistratescourt HARARE — A 52-year-old Indian national has been intercepted at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport while allegedly attempting to smuggle 6,597.97 carats of rough diamonds out of Zimbabwe inside an aircraft bound for South Asia. Bharat Keshibha Marani was removed from an Ethiopian Airlines flight on July 30 after airport security and law enforcement officers discovered 12 plastic sachets of diamonds concealed inside a container of thick black paste in his checked luggage.
Marani appeared before Harare Regional Magistrate Jessie Kufa on Monday facing three statutory counts: smuggling under the Customs and Excise Act, unlawful possession and dealing in precious stones without a license and contravening the Immigration Act. The court heard that Marani entered Zimbabwe on June 18, 2026 on a 30-day holiday visa valid until July 17. He allegedly remained in the country unlawfully after its expiration before attempting to board the flight to India.
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The smuggling attempt unraveled when Colleta Machiwana, a security officer with the Aviation Company of Zimbabwe, identified an anomalous object during routine X-ray screening of checked baggage. Machiwana alerted detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Minerals, Flora and Fauna Unit who intercepted Marani after he had already boarded the aircraft.A physical search of the luggage yielded a silver container coated in dark paste ,a tactic frequently employed to bypass airport security scanners. Inside the paste, officers recovered 12 sealed plastic sachets containing unrefined stones.
Marani failed to produce any documentation authorizing the legal possession, movement or export of the precious stones. Subsequent forensic examination and valuation by the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) confirmed the contents weighed 1,400 grams (6,597.97 carats), carrying an estimated market value of US$62,456.91.Magistrate Kufa remanded Marani in custody pending the court’s ruling on his formal bail application. The prosecution indicated that investigations remain active to establish the origin of the gems and potential local syndicates involved.
Marani’s court appearance comes amid growing public concern from mineral watchdogs over foreign criminal syndicates operating in the country under the guise of commercial investors. Security agencies and mining analysts warn that several international operatives masquerading as prospective foreign direct investors, have gained access to Zimbabwe’s natural resource sector. These individuals frequently secure VIP treatment, expedited entry and access to restricted commercial zones on the promise of capital injection, only to engage in systemic looting of state resources.Law enforcement authorities have signaled an intensified crackdown at all official ports of entry to curb the illicit outflow of precious minerals, which continues to bleed the national treasury of vital export revenues.
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