Dollars in undeclared

Customs officials on Monday arrested two Pakistani citizens in the central Mozambican province of Manica after they were caught attempting to cross into neighbouring Zimbabwe in possession of 424,792 US dollars in undeclared cash.The brothers, Irfan and Rehan Majeed have both lived in Mozambique over the last 16 years and are traders in the city of Chimoio.They were stopped as they drove into the border post at Machipanda. Customs officials found the cash in cases and hidden inside the car.A spokesperson for the customs service told journalists that the arrests are the result of strengthened coordination to combat cross-border smuggling in Manica.The brothers will be taken to court charged with committing financial crimes.Irfan Majeed told journalists that the cash was being taken to the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, where he intended to hand it over to its legitimate owner. Meanwhile, Rehan claimed that he did not know anything about the money, stating “I was only accompanying my brother … I did not know that I was committing a crime”.