Police Foil Human Trafficking Ring Linked to Russia War Effort

By Judith Nyuke

Four men appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court over the weekend on charges of trafficking Zimbabweans to Russia, where the victims were reportedly coerced into participating in the invasion of Ukraine.

Obert Hlavati (35), Tonderai Maphosa (39), Tanaka Malcon Gwarada (29) and Edson Nyamudeza (49) appeared before Harare magistrate Jesse Kufa to face charges of violating the Trafficking in Persons Act.

The State alleges that between February and March 2026, the accused persons, acting in connivance with a Russian national identified only as Ivan, hatched a plan to traffic five Zimbabweans for labor exploitation in Russia.

The accused recruited the victims by misrepresenting that they would work as firefighters, promising lucrative salaries and favorable working conditions.

​Ivan reportedly recruited victims via social media platforms such as Facebook, Telegram, and WhatsApp, before referring them to Gwarada—a local InDrive taxi driver—to complete the recruitment process.

Gwarada received payments totaling US$8,167 at different intervals through EcoCash and a bureau de change located at 5 Londonderry, Eastlea, Harare. He would then transport the victims to hotels, lodges, or safe houses in the Harare CBD to await processing.
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The Court heard that Gwarada handed the funds over to Maphosa, who managed the logistics for food and accommodation. Maphosa reportedly tasked Hlavati with taking the victims to passport offices and the Avenues Clinic to acquire travel documents and medical reports.

Once the process was complete, Gwarada took the victims to Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport and reportedly handed their air tickets to Nyamudeza. As an airport official, he facilitated their “easy passage” through the terminal.
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Upon arrival in Russia, the victims were received by Ivan who allegedly confiscated their travel documents. Instead of firefighting, the victims were forced to join the Russia-Ukraine war as soldiers.

The matter came to light after the victims reported their ordeal to relatives in Zimbabwe, who alerted the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

The Court heard that the victims remain in Russia, and the Department of Social Welfare is currently making efforts to repatriate them.
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On 24 March 2026, detectives received information that the accused had allegedly recruited four more victims scheduled to travel to Russia. Police managed to intercept these victims at the airport, leading to the subsequent arrest of the accused persons.