Ex-British soldier nabbed over cocaine

Freeman Razemba Crime Reporter
An ex-British soldier believed to be the ringleader of a syndicate manufacturing, distributing and smuggling cocaine and other illicit substances has been arrested in Harare.

James Francis Joscelyne of No. 9 Marion Close, Glen Lorne, Harare, was arrested yesterday at his home by detectives from the CID Drugs and Narcotics following a tip-off. Joscelyne is a former British Army soldier attached to the Queen’s Regiment.

He retired in 2002 before moving to Zimbabwe. Following his arrest, police recovered 8,25g of cocaine, 133g Ecstasy powder, 43 Ecstasy tablets, a machine used to manufacture Ecstasy tablets, 25kg of micro crystalline cellulose, 800g magnesium stalite, a machine used to press dagga and a scale, among other illicit substances.

Investigations carried out so far revealed that Joscelyne was linked to a number of illicit drug-related cases. Chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the arrest and said investigations were still in progress.

Joscelyne, who is detained at Harare Central Police Station, will appear in court soon once investigations are completed.

Sources close to the investigations said Joscelyne had links outside the country, especially in South Africa and Brazil, where he dealt in the illicit drugs. It is alleged he would also grow mbanje in greenhouses from seeds smuggled from Brazil.

Ecstasy tablets were being sold at $3 each on the streets. Joscelyne allegedly smuggled the cocaine mainly from South Africa, while he had several local runners who distributed the drugs.

One of the runners included the 32-year-old drug mule, Beauty Mutashu, who was arrested at the Harare International Airport recently for possessing 3,8kg of cocaine worth $304 000. Mutashu was sentenced to eight years in jail by Harare magistrate Mr Lazini Ncube.

Dealing in drugs like cocaine attracts jail time of up to 15 years. Another of Joscelyne’s runners was Fungai Maguta (39), who was arrested in March at the Harare International Airport with 274 grammes of cocaine worth about $22 000 hidden on her back- side.

She was travelling from Brazil aboard a United Arab Emirates Flight EK 713 and was sentenced to four years in April.