Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku, Court Writer
A Bulawayo man who was arrested together with his wife for possessing an assortment of illegal drugs, including cocaine and cannabis, has been sentenced to six years imprisonment.
Darian-Lee Kevin Lloyd Jackson (31), of West Somerton suburb, was convicted on his own plea by Bulawayo regional magistrate, Mr Mark Dzira.
Jackson will serve an effective four years behind bars after two years were suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence.
His wife, Lakin Lee Robinson (32), pleaded not guilty to the charge and is set to stand trial tomorrow.
The couple was arrested on July 13 following an operation by detectives from the CID Drugs and Narcotics Unit in Bulawayo’s central business district.
In passing sentence, Mr Dzira noted that Jackson was a first-time offender who showed remorse and did not waste the court’s time by pleading guilty.
Prosecuting, Ms Nkanyezi Xaba told the court that detectives received a tip-off on July 18 at around 10pm that the couple was distributing cocaine and dagga in and around the city centre using a white vehicle, registration number AF16049.
“Acting on the information, detectives mounted surveillance in the CBD and identified the vehicle with the two accused persons inside,” said Ms Xaba.
Police approached the vehicle, identified themselves and conducted a search, recovering four sachets of cocaine weighing five grammes, 10 sachets of dagga, 10 sachets of cannabis gummies and three sachets of cannabis-laced sweets, hidden in various compartments.
Following their arrest, detectives conducted a further search at the couple’s residence, where they recovered a larger cache of drugs.
These included 41 sachets of dagga weighing 4,1 kilogrammes, five sachets of prepared dagga cigarettes, two 20-litre buckets filled with loose dagga, as well as additional cannabis gummies and sweets. In total, police seized about nine kilogrammes of dagga and 3,6 grammes of cocaine.
The dagga’s estimated street value is about ZWG$240 000, while the cocaine street value is about ZWG$165 400.
Ms Xaba told the court that the accused packaged the drugs into edible forms, including confectionery laced with cannabis.
