Vusumuzi Dube
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
A 30-year-old woman from Beitbridge who concealed seven pockets of potatoes filled with mbanje, intending to transport the drugs to Harare in a Honda Fit, has been sentenced to an effective three years in jail.
Since the start of the crackdown on drug peddling and smuggling along the border with South Africa, dealers have devised various methods to evade arrest. These include hiding contraband in false vehicle compartments and inside new refrigerators, stoves, washing powder, groceries, and packets of potatoes.
In a statement, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said Lea Leanah Chaka was arrested on the evening of September 18 while travelling in a Honda Fit at Engen Service Station, heading towards Masvingo.
She was convicted for unlawful dealing in dangerous drugs.
“At around 3 am on September 19, the vehicle was stopped at Bubi roadblock along the Beitbridge to Masvingo highway. During a police search, the officers discovered 17 cobs of mbanje (marijuana) hidden inside the potato packets. The contraband weighed a total of 9.3 kilograms with a street value of US$930,” said the NPA.
Chaka was sentenced to three years effective imprisonment after the magistrate suspended one year of the four-year term on condition of good behaviour.
“The conviction underscores the zero tolerance stance against drug trafficking in Zimbabwe,” added the NPA.
Online Reporter