Zimbabwe — A Chinese national was arrested at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport on Friday for allegedly attempting to smuggle mineral samples, authorities said.
Cao Shutai, 56, appeared at Harare Magistrates court on Saturday facing charges under the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe Act. He was released on $100 bail, ordered to surrender his passport, and must stay at his registered address in Zimbabwe.
Prosecutors said Cao, who entered the country on a business visa valid until March 1, was staying at a residence in Harare hosted by Edgar Sibanda. He had also booked accommodation at another address in the city.
Investigators said Cao collected three packets of mineral samples from an undisclosed location and packed them in his luggage before heading to the airport to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight bound for Beijing via Addis Ababa.
During a routine scan of his luggage, security officials noticed suspicious objects. Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department’s Minerals, Flora, and Fauna Unit were called to the scene. Upon inspection, they found three mineral ore samples concealed in his clothing.
Cao reportedly failed to produce documentation for the minerals, leading to his arrest. Laboratory tests later confirmed the samples contained calcium and magnesium ores, prosecutors said.
