Dagga-carrying bus crew nabbed

A bus crew from Kurai Bus Services and two other men have been arrested in Plumtree for transporting five kilogrammes of dagga from Harare in a Botswana bound bus.

Irvine Chapwanya (36), who is the bus driver and Silas Ncube (48) the assistant conductor allegedly received the package from Tichaona Duri (29) and Martin Msindo (38) in Gweru. They were intercepted by detectives at the Plumtree Border Post who found the package containing dagga while clearing the goods.

All four men pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawful dealing in dangerous drugs when they appeared before Plumtree magistrate Mr Gideon Ruvetsa. They all through their legal counsel Thomas Militao of Kwenda and Chagwiza Attorneys claimed that they did not have knowledge of what was contained in the package.

“Duri and Msindo were assigned by someone to receive the package which had been put on board Kurai Bus Services but they were not furnished with details on what was contained in the package and they did not bother to ask. They did not suspect that it contained something illegal. Chapwanya and Ncube who were travelling in the bus received the package in Harare with the intention to drop it off in Gweru not knowing what was inside. They were surprised to learn that the package contained dagga but it was not their intention to posses it,” said Militao.

Prosecuting, Ms Jane Phiri said Ncube and Chapwanya who are members of the bus crew were found in possession of the dagga on 14 April. Phiri said Ncube was given a package which contained five plastic bags of loose dagga sealed by a tape and 1 000 empty zipper bags by an unknown person at Mbare Bus Terminus in Harare. She said Ncube was assigned to deliver the package in Gweru where it was going to be received by Duri and Msindo. Mr Ruvetsa remanded the four men out of custody to 28 June for continuation of trial.