Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini
A MAN was arrested on a passenger bus he was travelling on after police were tipped that he was allegedly trafficking dagga and unregistered medicines from South Africa into Zimbabwe.
Tinashe Manyeruke is believed to be part of the staff at a South African bus firm and was responsible for the luggage on one of the company’s buses.
He appeared before Harare magistrate, Ruth Moyo, charged with dealing in dangerous drugs and possession of unregistered medicines.
He was remanded in custody pending bail considerations.
The State alleges that last week, detectives from CID Drugs and Narcotics received information that Manyeruke was aboard a South Africa-registered, Silver Kings Logistics bus travelling from South Africa, and was allegedly transporting drugs into Zimbabwe.
Acting on the tip-off, detectives mounted surveillance along the Harare-Masvingo Highway and intercepted the bus at Skyline Tollgate before following it to Roadport in Harare.
The detectives allegedly approached the bus driver and identified themselves before explaining the purpose of their visit.
Manyeruke, who was allegedly seen speaking to the driver, is said to have disembarked and fled before detectives could apprehend him.
Police subsequently searched the bus and recovered parcels from the back seat where Manyeruke had allegedly placed his luggage and the contraband.
The search yielded five packets of compressed dagga weighing approximately 4.952kg, concealed in a black plastic bag.
Detectives also allegedly recovered 1,500 Promos sildenafil citrate tablets, 600 Black Cobra sildenafil citrate tablets, another 1,050 Black Cobra 200 sildenafil citrate tablets and 90 bottles of Astra Pain cough syrup.
The bus driver allegedly told investigators that the luggage had been loaded in South Africa by Manyeruke, whom he said was responsible for handling all the luggage on the bus.
Police failed to locate Manyeruke that night.
The following day, detectives received information that he had returned to Roadport while the bus was loading passengers for its return journey to South Africa.
He was subsequently arrested and his cellphone seized.
Police claim a search of the phone revealed WhatsApp messages allegedly linking him to the recovered drugs.
The dagga was valued at US$500, while the unregistered medicines and sildenafil citrate tablets were valued at a combined US$2,100, bringing the total value of the recovered substances to US$2,600.
