Online Reporter
Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent
HARARE provincial magistrate Mrs Lisa Mutendereki has fined Harare woman Lisa Eden Murdoch US$200 after convicting her of possessing cocaine.
Murdoch pleaded guilty to the charge, telling the court that she had become addicted to the drug.
The court heard that on September 2, 2026, detectives received information that Murdoch was allegedly in possession of cocaine at a house in Banchory, Mandara, Harare.
The detectives acted on the information and proceeded to the address, where they allegedly found Murdoch holding an object.
After identifying themselves, the detectives asked to search her. The State told the court that Murdoch resisted the search by clenching her fist, in which she was concealing a sachet containing whitish granules suspected to be cocaine.
After a brief struggle, the detectives managed to retrieve the sachet from her clenched fist. Murdoch was subsequently arrested and taken to CID Drugs and Narcotics in Harare, together with the recovered substance.
A preliminary field test was conducted on the suspected drug in the presence of the accused and it tested positive for cocaine.
The recovered cocaine has a street value of US$80.
