An estimated US$100 million worth of gold worth is being smuggled out of the country every month and cases of such form of corruption is hurting the economy, but a nunber of arrested suspects are yet to be sentenced under unclear circumstances.

Police Commissioner General Godwin Matanga told a Parliamentary portfolio committee that police have limited access at the airport, a situation that is fueling smuggling.

“l would want to mention to the House that it is very unfortunate that at our international airport, the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe are the people providing security at the airport.

“There are some parts of the airport where ZRP officers are not allowed to patrol and as head of police l would want to believe that these are the ones being used by the criminals to smuggle out gold.”

The oral evidence comes barely 2 weeks after a 33-year-old Zimbabwean man was arrested at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg recently with smuggled gold worth R11 million (about US$730 000).