Bus services at Zimbabwe’s Beitbridge border post ground to a halt Wednesday as operators suspended operations following an intense government crackdown on smuggled goods. Hundreds of travelers, primarily cross-border traders and shoppers were stranded after transport companies withdrew their services.

The suspension comes after Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube announced strict new anti-smuggling measures during last Friday’s 2025 national budget presentation. The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority received broad powers to seize goods without proof of customs duty payment.

“We were ordered to return to the border post by a team which stopped us about 30km out of Beitbridge. We were escorted back for thorough searches,” said a female traveler caught in the operation.

Government deployed security forces at checkpoints along major routes to border posts, with armed police redirecting vehicles to customs yards for inspection. Several buses have been impounded and stored at BAK Storage facilities in multiple cities including Masvingo, Beitbridge and Harare.

“Our employers have told us not to load goods. We have heard some buses have been fined up to US$60,000 and we are not ready to risk,” a bus driver said.

The crackdown targets essential goods including rice, dairy products, clothing, electrical appliances and beverages. At Dulivhadzimo bus terminus, operators have parked their vehicles and refused to accept cargo.

During peak periods, up to 220 buses normally pass through Beitbridge daily, with additional vehicles serving the border town without cross-border permits. The current disruption comes as travel typically increases for the festive season.

Zimra has hired additional workers at Beitbridge to handle seized goods. A local municipal police officer reported that no buses departed the border town on Wednesday, marking an unprecedented disruption to normal operations.

The anti-smuggling initiative particularly affects informal cross-border traders known as “runners” who transport goods between Zimbabwe and South Africa. Some operators allegedly transport contraband smuggled across the Limpopo River without crossing at official border points.