6 arrested for pushing mbanje

POLICE in Ruwangwe, Nyanga, have arrested six people found in possession of over 180kg of mbanje hidden in one of the suspects’ house.

The six are assisting the police with investigations and will appear in court once investigations are complete.

Police have impounded a vehicle believed to have been used to transport the mbanje.

It was still not clear where the suspects had obtained the drug.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrests and said they had declared war on dangerous drugs countrywide.

“Police in Ruwangwe who were acting on information received, arrested six people for illegal possession and dealing in dangerous drugs,” he said.

“181kg of dagga were recovered in one of the accused persons’ bedroom while the car used to transport the drugs was also impounded.”

This is not the first time that police have arrested suspects dealing in mbanje in the area.

Police in Manicaland province have separately intercepted two trucks ferrying 6,7 tonnes of marijuana (mbanje), believed to have been smuggled from neighbouring countries.

In January this year, a haulage truck carrying 4,7 tonnes of mbanje was intercepted along the Nyanga-Nyamapanda Road, while another with over two tonnes was stopped by alert Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) officers soon after leaving Forbes Border Post near Mutare.

The truck ferrying two tonnes of dagga was from Malawi headed for Zimbabwe.

Its driver — who disappeared when Zimra officers started searching the vehicle — had declared it empty.

The marijuana was hidden in a false compartment specifically created for that purpose.