Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka-Chisepo
Court Correspondent
TWO women appeared in court yesterday accused of trying to smuggle more than 2kg of crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as mutoriro, worth over US$21,000 to the Philippines.
The drugs were allegedly hidden inside a folder and four hippopotamus curios.
Michelle Mupati (26), of Livingstone Suburbs, Bulawayo and Lorcadia Zhou (20), of Old Pumula, Bulawayo, appeared before Harare regional magistrate, Feresi Chakanyuka, facing separate charges arising from two shipments allegedly sent through FedEx in March this year.
The State, led by Heather Mhlanga-Muokoto, alleges that Mupati first attempted to send a brown leatherette folder to the Philippines on March 12.
She allegedly told a FedEx branch manager that she was sending the folder to relatives in the Philippines. But the plan allegedly raised suspicion when a customer service agent recognised Mupati as someone who had previously sent similar parcels to the same destination.
The branch manager alerted his superiors in Harare, who ordered that the parcel be thoroughly scrutinised when it arrived.
According to the State, FedEx internal operations manager, Simbarashe Muronzi, noticed that the folder’s zip appeared to have been tampered with when the parcel reached Harare.
Small granules were also allegedly coming out of the folder.
Muronzi alerted detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department Drugs and Narcotics section, who conducted a field test that allegedly indicated the presence of methamphetamine.
The folder was seized as an exhibit.
Mupati was arrested on April 10 at her Livingstone Suburbs home, where detectives allegedly recovered her national identity card, which had been photocopied when she sent the parcel.
Investigations allegedly revealed that the residential address she had supplied when sending the parcel was false.
The State alleges that when the folder was opened on April 11 in Mupati’s presence, detectives found two black plastic packets containing suspected methamphetamine hidden on 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 that the substance was methamphetamine.
The State valued the drugs at 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, with Zhou assisting her.
Once again, 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 being arrested in Bulawayo’s CBD. The State alleges that Zhou had also supplied a false residential address when the parcel was sent.
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 respectively, bringing the total to 1 112 grammes.
Forensic tests allegedly confirmed the substance as methamphetamine, with the drugs valued at US$11 120. The two consignments therefore allegedly contained a combined 2 165 grammes of crystal methamphetamine valued at US$21 650.
The State is expected to produce the recovered drugs, 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.
