Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
A 43-year-old man from Chitungwiza has been jailed for an effective six years by the Beitbridge Regional Magistrates’ Court after he was arrested in Beitbridge with 225kg of marijuana (mbanje/dagga) with a street value of US$22 529,50.
Archwell Mutanga, who was arrested along with Brighton Mavusi (27) and Shakemore Mugombe (36), was convicted of unlawful dealing in dangerous drugs following a full trial before Regional Magistrate Ms Charity Maphosa.
Mutanga will serve six years in prison after the magistrate conditionally suspended two years of the eight-year jail term for five years.
The mbanje was forfeited to the State after the trial.
Prosecuting, Ms Olivia Chamutinya told the court that on March 26 around 2 pm, Mutanga and his accomplices were travelling in a Toyota Hilux GD6 double cab when they arrived at the Bubye Valley Conservancy gate manned by game scouts.
At the time, the vehicle was being driven by Mavusi, while Mutanga was seated in the front passenger seat and Mugombe at the back.
The trio was given a pass to enter the conservancy by a game scout manning the first gate.
The court further heard that as the vehicle approached the second gate, one of the game scouts at the first gate became suspicious after discovering the vehicle was not affixed with registration plates.
The game scout alerted other team members, and they stopped and searched the vehicle. Ms Chamutinya said the game scouts from the first gate then pursued the vehicle and alerted those at the second gate to stop it.
At the second gate, the vehicle was stopped, and Mutanga disembarked and tried to negotiate passage with the game scouts without success.
When he realised they were being pursued, he switched seats with Mavusi and attempted to flee but was later cornered by the game scouts.
He tried to escape and drove into a small dam where he was apprehended. A search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of five bales containing 63 cobs of mbanje in the load box.
Police were alerted and arrested the trio and seized the mbanje weighing 225,295 kilogrammes.
