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Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau 

SOUTH Africa’s specialised crime unit, the Hawks, have taken over investigations in a case where a 38-year-old Zimbabwean woman was arrested for allegedly smuggling of drugs worth R2 million into that country via Beitbridge Border Post.

The Hawks are South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations which targets organised crime, economic crime, corruption and other serious crimes as directed by that country’s Head of State.

Hawks spokesperson for Limpopo Captain Matimba Maluleke said the accused Mavis Busisiwe Thundedzwa appeared before Musina Magistrate court yesterday where she was remanded in custody to June 26 pending judgment of her formal bail application.

The woman was arrested on 11 May at Beitbridge (South African side) while travelling from Zimbabwe to the neighbouring country.

“The accused, Thundedzwa Busisiwe Mavis (38), appeared before Musina magistrate court and the matter was remanded to 26 June for formal bail application judgment,” said Capt Maluleke.

According to the police, the suspect was arrested by police during routine border patrols.

It is alleged that on 11 May at around 06h00, South African police were performing their normal duties at the Beitbridge Port of Entry under the Musina policing area when they searched Thundedzwa’s luggage.

During the search, the police found 15x Crystal Methamphetamine drugs with an estimated street value of over R2 million. 

Further, preliminary investigations revealed that Thundedzwa was travelling from Harare in Zimbabwe to South Africa.

The smuggling of drugs and explosives between Zimbabwe and South Africa’s boundary line has been on the increase.

Over 40 people have been arrested between 2015 and 2017 while smuggling similar contrabands between the two countries.

In 2015 two women from Bulawayo aged 41 and 23 were fined R20 000 each for smuggling 180 detonators into the neighbouring country.

The other group of 14 men was intercepted in July 2014 at an illegal entry point along the Limpopo River carrying a contraband of detonators worth R350 000 and were fined R30 000 each.