Pusher gets 15-year term

Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
Cases of drug traffickers using Zimbabwe as a transit point are on the increase and there is need for courts to send a clear message to would-be offenders, a Harare magistrate has said.

Mr Hoseah Mujaya said this while sentencing a Harare woman to 15 years in jail for possessing 2,3 kg of raw cocaine worth $186 000. Mr Mujaya convicted Veronica Matongo (44) of Mbare after a full trial. She was arrested at a city lodge after police got a tip-off from her South African partner.

According to Tirani Mabaso’s statement to the police, Matongo was supposed to deliver the dangerous drugs to her and in turn she was going to take them to Panama. Since Mabaso was coming from South Africa, Matongo booked her into a lodge and told her that she would bring the cocaine after two days after booking her flight to Panama.

After the two days had lapsed, Mabaso — who thought Matongo was setting her up with the police — rushed to the South African Embassy and reported the matter to the authorities. She was then referred to Interpol offices where she narrated how she had come into the country to get the drugs from Matongo on transit to Panama.

Detectives from CID Drugs and Narcotics then set a trap using Mabaso as bait before they pounced on the unsuspecting Matongo who had brought the cocaine as per the agreement. When a search was conducted, it was discovered that the inner metal lining seam of the bag Matongo was carrying had been tampered with.

She was taken to Harare Central Police Station where a thorough search was conducted by unscrewing the metal lining of the bag, leading to the recovery of two khakhi papers containing the cocaine. In aggravation, prosecutor Mr Michael Reza called for lengthy custodial term.

“Your Worship, the only way to stop international drug trafficking is to disturb movements by these so-called mules. There is need for this court to send a clear message to all traffickers that Zimbabwe is not a safe transit point anymore. A jail term of between 15 and 20 years would meet the justice of this offence,” he said.