The Zimbabwean government has stepped up efforts to crack down on smuggling along the country's porous eastern border with Mozambique through the large-scale use of drone surveillance technology - a measure that authorities say is already producing tangible results.

The drones, operational since May 1, are being used mainly to monitor smuggling along the border, with a focus on key points such as the Forbes Border Post, which connects Zimbabwe's Manicaland province to Mozambique's Manica province.

In a statement reported by state newspaper The Herald, Misheck Mugadza, the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Decentralization, said that there had been a "notable decline" in smuggling cases since the launch of the fleet.

He added that the drones would serve both to help identify illegal activities and to deter traffickers.

Unmanned aircraft have facial recognition systems that will further increase the efficiency of operations.

Zimbabwe's national air ambulance service recently announced plans to open a new base in Victoria Falls.