Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya
A DARING Beitbridge woman thought she had cooked up the perfect plan to smuggle drugs but police peeled back her cover and served her a three-year jail term instead.
Lea Leanah Chaka (30) was busted after officers discovered seven potato pockets stuffed with mbanje in a Honda Fit headed for Harare.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), Chaka was intercepted during a police operation on September 18 at Engen Service Station before she could set off along the Beitbridge-Masvingo highway.
“At around 3am on September 19, the vehicle was stopped at Bubi roadblock. During the search, officers discovered 17 cobs of mbanje hidden inside potato packets,” said the NPAZ.
The stash weighed 9.3 kilograms and carried a street value of US$930.
Authorities say drug peddlers along the border with South Africa are getting increasingly crafty.
“They are hiding drugs in false vehicle compartments, inside new refrigerators, stoves, groceries, washing powder and even potato sacks,” said the NPAZ.
Chaka was convicted of unlawful dealing in dangerous drugs. Out of a four-year sentence, one year was suspended on condition of good behavior, leaving her with three years behind bars.
“The conviction underscores the zero-tolerance stance against drug trafficking in Zimbabwe,” added the NPAZ.
The crackdown continues as police tighten their grip on cross-border smuggling syndicates.
derick.khumalo