Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka-Chisepo
Court Correspondent
TWO women from Bulawayo have appeared before Harare regional magistrate Ms Feresi Chakanyuka facing charges of allegedly attempting to export a combined 2 165 grammes of methamphetamine (crystalmeth) to the Philippines concealed in a leatherette folder and four hippopotamus curios.
Michelle Mupati (26), of Livingstone Road, Suburbs, Bulawayo, and Lorcadia Zhou (20), of Old Pumula, Bulawayo, are facing separate charges arising from two shipments made through FedEx in March this year.
The State, led by Ms Heather Mhlanga-Muokoto, alleged that Mupati, who is unemployed, went to FedEx on Samuel Parirenyatwa Avenue in Bulawayo on March 12 with the intention to send a brown leatherette folder to the Philippines.
She allegedly told a FedEx branch manager that she was sending the folder to relatives in the Philippines.
However, a customer service agent allegedly became suspicious after recognising Mupati as a person who had previously sent similar parcels to the same destination.
The branch manager reportedly alerted his superiors in Harare, who instructed that the parcel be thoroughly scrutinised when it arrived.
According to the State, when the parcel reached Harare, FedEx internal operations manager Simbarashe Muronzi noticed that the zip of the folder appeared to have been tampered with and that small granules were coming out of it.
He alerted detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Drugs and Narcotics section, who conducted a field test which indicated the presence of methamphetamine.
The folder was subsequently seized as an exhibit.
Mupati was arrested on April 10 at her Suburbs home, where detectives allegedly recovered her national identity card, which had been photocopied when she sent the parcel.
Investigations allegedly established that the residential address she had provided when sending the parcel was false.
The State further alleges that when the folder was opened on April 11 in Mupati’s presence, two black plastic packets containing suspected methamphetamine were recovered from either side of the folder.
The substances allegedly weighed 550 grammes and 503 grammes respectively, giving a combined weight of 1 053 grammes.
Forensic Science Laboratory tests allegedly confirmed the substance as methamphetamine.
The State says the drugs have an estimated street value of US$10 530.
In the second count, Mupati and Zhou are accused of attempting to export four hippopotamus curios containing methamphetamine to the Philippines on March 23.
The State alleges that Mupati used her national identity particulars to send the parcel while Zhou assisted her.
A FedEx employee allegedly became suspicious after recognising Mupati from previous shipments to the same destination.
When the parcel reached Harare, Muronzi allegedly discovered that the bases of all four hippopotamus curios had been tampered with.
Detectives were called in and the curios were seized.
The two women were arrested on April 10, with Zhou allegedly arrested in Bulawayo’s Central Business District.
The State alleges that Zhou had used a false residential address when sending the parcel.
When the curios were opened on April 11 in the presence of the two accused, four black plastic packets containing suspected methamphetamine were allegedly recovered.
The substances weighed 382 grammes, 378 grammes, 210 grammes and 142 grammes, bringing the total to 1 112 grammes.
The State alleges that forensic tests confirmed the substance as methamphetamine, with the drugs having an estimated street value of US$11 120.
The State is expected to produce the recovered drugs, the leatherette folder, four hippopotamus curios, FedEx receipts, identification documents, seizure confirmation receipts, weighing certificates, forensic laboratory reports and CCTV footage as exhibits.
The matter is still pending.
