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Geraldine Zaranyika Herald Reporter
Harare magistrate Mrs Barbra Mateko will today deliver a ruling in the case of Ernest Mwale (29), who was arrested at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport while in possession of 21kg of ephedrine worth $63 000.
Ephedrine is a medication and stimulant. It is often used to prevent low blood pressure during spinal anesthesia. It has also been used for asthma, narcolepsy, and obesity but is not the preferred treatment.
If abused, it gets consumers high.
Prosecutor Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa opposed bail on the grounds that the accused was facing a serious offence and there was overwhelming evidence against him.
Mwale is facing charges of violating the Medicines and Allied Substances Act.
Allegations are that on May 25, detectives from CID Drugs and Narcotics received a tip-off that Mwale was carrying ephedrine from India and was on his way to Zimbabwe on board a RwandAirplane.
Acting on that information, the police waited for Mwale at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport and intercepted his luggage
The luggage was searched in his presence leading to the recovery of 36 x 550g tins inscribed rice flour which were seized and tested at the CID Drugs office and found to be containing ephedrine.
The drugs recovered weighed 21kg with a street value of $63 000.
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