Dealer nabbed over whisky

Letwin Mubonesi
A Mutare drug dealer has landed himself in trouble with the law after he was found in possession of banned bottles of liquor.

Fungai Chikura (23) was convicted on his own plea of guilty when he appeared before magistrate Mrs Sekai Chiundura to the charges of contravening the Customs and Exercise Act Chapter 23: 6 which outlaws the importation and possession of banned whiskey.

Representing the state was Mr Fletcher Karombe.

The court heard that on December 29, 2015 at Forbes boarder post, Chikura was found in possession of 59 bottles of whisky which he had smuggled from Mozambique for resale in Zimbabwe.

Circumstances surrounding the matter are that, police officers were on border patrol when they found Chikura trying to enter Zimbabwe with banned bottles of whisky and they immediately apprehended him.

Mr Karombe said, “Chikura was found at Forbes border post attempting to enter Zimbabwe with prohibited liquor.

“He then failed to produce a valid licence which allows him to sell the prohibited liquor and was immediately arrested.”

Asked to explain his side of the story, Chikura told the court that he was trying to earn a living.

“I erred Your Worship, please forgive me,” said Chikura.

He was ordered to pay $50 fine and the illegal brew was forfeited to the State.

In an unrelated matter, Nyadzai Monalisa Kupenya (33) appeared before magistrate Mr Langton Mukwengi pleading guilty to charges of unlawful possession of the prohibited whisky.

It was the state’s case led by Mr Fletcher Karombe that, Kupenya was found with 25 bottles of banned whisky at her homestead after police officers received a tip-off that she was selling the whisky.

“After the detectives received a tip-off that Kupenya is a drug dealer, they searched the alleged environment from where the accused was operating her business and recovered 25 bottles of whiskey.

“She then failed to furnish the detectives with the documents allowing her to sell the prohibited substance leading to her arrest,” said Mr Karombe.

After the presiding magistrate asked her why she had acted in that manner, she told the court that she committed the offence with the intention of raising school fees for her children.

“I was trying to raise school fees for my children, Your Worship,” said Kupenya.

Mr Mukwengi later ordered her to pay a fine of $20 and in default of payment she will serve an alternative 20 days imprisonment.