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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Court Reporter

A NIGERIAN pastor who was recently arrested at Victoria Falls Airport for possessing more than two kilogrammes of cocaine stuffed in hats and jackets with a street value of more than $126 million, has been sentenced to an effective 10 years in jail.
Desmond Onyii Onuoha (46) of Ruwa Paschoal 484 590 Paulo-Brazil or number 22 Samuel Eknola Street Lagos in Nigeria, was arrested for drug trafficking on October 23.

Onuoha who was facing charges of drug trafficking and possession, was convicted by Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Collet Ncube.

Prosecuting, Mr Vusumuzi Mangena said on 22 October 2022, detectives from the Drugs and Narcotics Victoria Falls received information to the effect that Onuoha was travelling from Brazil via Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia using a Nigerian passport number B50060514 on board an Ethiopian Airways ET0829.

It was suspected that Onuoha was carrying drugs.
“The following day at around 11.30 am, a team of detectives proceeded to Victoria Falls International Airport where they acquired a passenger manifest for the incoming airplanes and established that Onuoha was on the list,” said Mr Mangena.

Around 12.30 pm, the detectives identified Onuoha and observed him as he went through the check in process. He checked in using a Ghanaian passport number G0559957. Detectives intercepted him and took him to the Victoria Falls Police Post.
A thorough search was conducted resulting in the recovery of a white gel substance wrapped in cellotapes which was stashed in the linings of hats and jackets.

A preliminary drug test conducted in Onuoha’s presence tested positive for cocaine leading to his arrest.

The recovered drugs were taken to Victoria Falls Post Office where they were weighed in Onuoha’s presence. The total weight was 2, 33 kg with a street value of about $126, 7 million.

Onuoha, through his lawyers Ncube and Partners, denied the charges, arguing that he did not know the contents of the bag found with the cocaine but had been asked to drop it in Victoria Falls by one of his congregants.

In his defence, Onuoha claimed he was married to a Zimbabwean woman and had come into the country to pay lobola for her.
The arrest and prosecution of Onuoha brings to four the number of foreigners that have been arrested at the country’s airports since September last year while trying to smuggle dangerous drugs into the country.

 

The Government has attributed the arrests to vigilance and increased surveillance by the country’s security agents.
Vitalis Kudrjasovs (27) who had a Latvian passport, was arrested on September 8 last year at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare following a tip off.

He was in possession of heroin which he intended to smuggle to India. Security details observed him as he went through check-in, immigration and customs formalities. He was arrested as he was about to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight en route to India.

His luggage was put in a security scanner leading to the discovery of the suspicious package. A further search led to the recovery of heroin with a street value of $ 6,96 million which was concealed in the lining of his bag.
Kudrjasovs has since appeared before a Harare magistrate on charges of dealing in dangerous drugs and the case is still pending.

On October 1, Shaik Zeenat Khatoon Rafiq (43) of Mumbai in India was arrested by detectives at the Victoria Falls International Airport for attempting to smuggle heroin with a street value of US$500 000.

She intended to board an Ethiopian Airline to Addis Ababa en-route to India. Rafiq was found with heroin stuffed in the lining of her travelling bag at the airport’s scanning point.

During the same month, Ronald Florentius Paes (66) was arrested at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport after he was found with heroin with a street value of $5,84 million which he intended to smuggle to India.

Police intercepted Paes after he had gone through all check-in formalities. He was arrested as he was about to have his luggage loaded onto the plane.

The detectives took his bags to the scanners and it was discovered that it contained suspicious contents, which were tested and it was discovered that it was heroin.

Paes had boarding passes to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia en route to India on Ethiopian Airlines.–@skhumoyo2000.