Beatific Gumbwanda /
Cephas Shava
CHIREDZI – A 23-year old man is languishing in custody while his father and three brothers were on the run after a massive police drug bust recovered dagga weighing many kilogrammes.
Ishmael Mlambo was apprehended by Chiredzi detective inspector Victor Chinone after a tip off over unlawful dealing of dangerous drugs.
Mlambo, of house number 1647 B Molly Road, Tshovani Township was remanded in custody after submissions for bail made by defence lawyer Charles Vhudzi of Zimbodza and Associates was turned down by Chiredzi Magistrate Geraldine Mutsoto.
The magistrate pointed to recurring fears that Mlambo posed a flight risk as his brothers were still at large and that Ishmael had tried to evade arrest before the police finally managed to apprehend him.
The State represented by Doubt Phiri alleged that on the May 5, the accused person together with his accomplices namely Daniel, Trust and Simbarashe Mlambo had in their possession a blue 20 litre drum with 10 taxi bags containing dagga and a large blue trunk with one taxi bag also containing dagga.
The total weight of all the confiscated dagga was 20 kg.
Ishmael was arrested after the police received a tip off that they were receiving dagga from a supplier who was yet to be named.
The supplier was alleged to be their father who was not named in court but the deal went sour when police ambushed them, arresting Ishmael while the others managed to flee.
Ishmael, who was not asked to plead, was remanded to the May 24 for continuation of trial.
In Mwenezi, Tapera Zhou was sentenced to 10 months behind bars or alternatively 350 hours of community service in addition of paying a US$2 000 restitution after he was convicted of poaching a nyala.
Zhou, of Umbono village under Chief Chitanga, pleaded guilty to charges of killing the nyala when he appeared before Magistrate Honest Musiwa.
Prosecutor Willard Chasi said on April 28, 2017, Zhou, an ex-employee of Zimbabwe Bio Energy (ZBE) and his accomplice, Bernard Mangezi, who was still at large, went to ZBE game ranch, set wire snares and caught a one male nyala.
His wife later told TellZim News that the family was on hard times because ZBE owed her husband US$900 in unpaid wages and that he had tried for a long time to get the money but with no success.local
