Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu
TWO young Brits have been sentenced to a combined 18 years behind Zimbabwean bars after being caught red-handed trying to smuggle a massive haul of cannabis through Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
Tihaise Darlin Elisha (19) and Taylor Tamara Simone (21) were nabbed on 1 May just after touching down on Ethiopian Airways Flight ET 873. Detectives from the CID Drugs and Narcotics Unit, tipped off about the pair’s suspicious movements, swooped in for the bust.
A search of their four suitcases exposed the shocking truth — 53 packets of dagga stashed inside, weighing more than 66kg and tagged in their names.
The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) confirmed the duo’s conviction and sentencing at the Harare Magistrates’ Court. They were handed nine-year jail terms, with three years suspended, leaving each of them to serve a solid six years.
In a blunt warning to international traffickers, the NPAZ said Zimbabwe will not tolerate drug smuggling under any disguise.
“No matter your nationality, the law will catch up with you. Airports are not gateways for crime,” the statement read.
