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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

A SUSPECTED Victoria Falls drug lord has been released on $50 000 bail.

Police recovered 6kg of marijuana, a bottle of cannabis oil and 18 litres of kachasu at his house last Friday.

Smit Cornelius Abram, who runs a conservancy along the Zambezi River has not been asked to plead to unlawful possession of cannabis oil and dagga, dangerous drugs and articles used for the manufacture of dangerous drugs for the purposes of dealing in such drugs, and possession of harmful liquids which is a violation of Section 3(1) of the Harmful Liquids Act.

Abram, who is represented by Mr Matshobana Ncube of Ncube Attorneys, appeared before Victoria Falls resident magistrate Ms Lindiwe Maphosa.

Abram was ordered to reside at his given Vakatsha Farm address, to surrender travel documents, not to interfere with witnesses and to report twice a week on Monday and Friday at Victoria Falls police station as part of his bail conditions.

Trial will start on October 26.

Police raided Abram’s place of residence last week Friday following a tip-off that the conservancy owner was possessing drugs.

Prosecuting, Mr Bheki Tshabalala said police recovered 6,07kg of dagga (mbanje), 610ml of cannabis oil and 18 litres of kachasu beer.

Condensers, electrical cans, 5-litres baobab oil, ethanol in two 25 litre containers and two distilling containers which Abram was allegedly using to brew illicit beer were also recovered.

“On 7 October around 12 noon, information was received to the effect that the accused was in possession of dangerous drugs at his place of residence. A team of police officers was dispatched to the accused place of residence, armed with a search warrant and searched the premises,” said Mr Tshabalala.

Some of the mbanje was allegedly recovered from Abram’s office and some at his house stashed in a gun cabinet room.

The estimated value of the recovered items is $627 000.

The illicit substances were sent for laboratory testing and police are waiting for results.- @ncubeleon