550kg of mbanje dumped at cemetery
By Freeman Razemba
HARARE – Unknown criminals dumped 550kg of mbanje worth thousands of dollars at Granville Cemetery popularly known as Kumbudzi, which is believed to have been smuggled into the country.
It is not clear when the mbanje could have been dumped.
Chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba yesterday confirmed the development and said investigations were still in progress.
“The ZRP is investigating a case in which police recovered 11x50kg bags of dagga at Granville Cemetery in Harare.
“Police acted on a tip-off and went to attend the scene where they found the bags dumped in the area,” she said.
She urged anyone with information that might assist them in investigating the case to contact any nearest police station or the national complaints desk on (04) 703631.
This is not the first time police has either recovered or intercepted large quantities of mbanje in and around the city.
Most of it is believed to be smuggled into the country through Mozambique from Malawi and several suspects have for the past few years been arrested and prosecuted in separate incidents.
In January 2013, police in Harare intercepted a Malawi-registered truck carrying about 3 700kg of mbanje worth thousands of dollars.
The truck driver was arrested while his other accomplices, who were travelling in a local commuter omnibus and a taxi, fled from the scene.
Police said the truck and the 41 bags of mbanje weighing about 90kg each were recovered after a search of the Fuso truck that had been parked at an unidentified premise near ZFC in Marimba area of Harare.
In November 2012, police in Mashonaland East intercepted a Harare-bound Malawi-registered bus at Nyamapanda Border Post and impounded 250kg of mbanje.
CID Drugs Squad swiftly reacted to a tip-off by the public that there were foreigners attempting to smuggle the drug into Zimbabwe through the border post.
Police detectives intercepted the Malawi-registered bus and found 25 bags of dagga weighing 10kg each that were tied to the chassis of the bus.
The Premier Bus Company crew of Pynees Harem Magetsi (36), Ishmael Tomu Nyalapa (33) and Donnie Ntamdalika Ephraim Mansanampha (39) was subsequently arrested.
Another vehicle carrying 714kg of mbanje with a street value of US$140 000 overturned near Chivhu along the Harare-Masvingo Highway in January 2012, leading to the arrest of two suspects. The dagga was stashed in 19 bags when the car overturned. The Herald
