Podhill mine smuggles 120kg gold from Kwekwe

ByEnigma 808

A Chinese-Australian mining operation smuggled more than 120 kilograms of gold worth over $10 million from Zimbabwe between 2023 and 2025, according to production records reviewed by Check Point. Podhill Private Limited declared less than 4 kilograms to banks in 2024, but internal documents show the company processed more than 3,000 kilograms of ore monthly and smelted gold off the books. Chinese national Zuo Wenzhong and Australian businessman Moham Karim own the company jointly.

The syndicate sold gold privately at $70 per gram through undisclosed buyers linked to Dubai and China. Transaction records show private sales totaling 16,854 grams between December 2023 and May 2024, and another 34 kilograms by year’s end. Zimbabwe Republic Police investigators traced the network to three linked companies controlled by Zuo. Authorities say the operation exploited weak enforcement to move gold across borders undetected through cash deals and private cargo.

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    Besides writing and being a content creator, Enigma 808 sometimes likes to watch paint dry on walls, listening to ASMR while timing snails racing. Such is life.