Three more mbanje dealers caged for 4 years

Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau

THREE more drug peddlers who were on Friday arrested with a contraband of mbanje in Beitbridge, have been jailed for an effective four years by the Beitbridge magistrate court.

The three, Primrose Madhume (31) [female] , Sharon Nyadzayo (29) [female] and Takudzwa Malimi (20) [male] were intercepted aboard local intercity bus at a Beitbridge service station in connection with unlawful possession of eight cobs of dagga.

The contraband was found stashed inside gas stoves.

Madhume and her accomplices were convicted on their own plea of guilty to contravening a section of the dangerous drugs act, when they appeared before Miss Annia Chimweta on Saturday.

They were left with four years effective in jail when Miss Chimweta set aside two years of their six years term for five years.

Appearing for the State, Miss Esnath Vengedza said on April 25, the trio boarded a bus at the Engen service station bus stop.

They had luggage including four boxes of two plate gas stoves where they had hid the mbanje, two satchels, two plastic bags and a blanket packed in a plastic bag.

Later that day , detectives from the CID Drugs and Narcotics Beitbridge received information about the trio’s mission.

The detectives swiftly reacted and found the accused persons in the bus with their luggage and ordered them to disembark with their goods.

Madhume and her accomplices had their luggage searched in their presence leading to the discovery of the dagga that had been concealed in the gas stoves.

The dagga weighing 11,7kgs and worth Us$1,173-40 was in turn seized by the police who also arrested them.

Government has since established a special team to deal with drug peddlers and smugglers at the Beitbridge border post.

This follows a surge in cases of smuggling of mostly mbanje and prohibited cough syrup among them broinclear and benylin that is being used as drugs by many citizens.

Indications are that the mbanje is finding its way to mainly high density suburbs in urban settlements in the country.