Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
The Beitbridge regional magistrate court has sentenced a Bulawayo man to an effective 12 years in prison for drug peddling after he was intercepted smuggling a contraband of 80kgs of mbanje from South Africa to Zimbabwe.
The package is worth US$81061.
Calvin Tshuma of Magwegwe in Bulawayo was arrested on March 24 as the State continues a crackdown on drug dealers using the boundary with South Africa to smuggle prohibited goods and drugs.
At the moment there is a notable increase in syndicates hiring couriers to move mbanje (dagga) from South Africa in quantities of between 10kg and 100kg either through the Beitbridge border post or its flanks.
The hallucination inducing drugs are finding their way to high density suburbs mostly in Bulawayo and Harare.
Tshuma was left with 12 years effective in prison when the presiding magistrate, Ms Charity Maphosa set aside three years of his 15 years term for five years.
Prosecuting, Mr Willbrought Muleya said on March 24, Tshuma arrived from South Africa in a Toyota Hilux carrying an assortment of goods.
He had concealed the mbanje in a metal cupboard packed with other groceries.
The court heard that the man ran out of luck when the vehicle was searched by border officials as part of customs procedures.
Mr Muleya said the dagga had been packed into 72 cobs weighing 80,611 kilograms which were seized by the police and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra).
He said the man ran away after discovering the police had seized the dagga.
Tshuma went into hiding in Bulawayo where he was later raided by the police.
Over five people have in the last few weeks been jailed for over drugs peddling around Beitbridge.
