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Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau

Border Security officials have intercepted a vehicle loaded with 175kgs of mbanje that had been declared as groceries being imported from South Africa via Beitbridge border post.

The Toyota Hilux towing a trailer was travelling to Nkulumane in Bulawayo with eight people on board on Monday.

So far, Sydney Ndlovu (39), Delight Ndlovu (37) and Diana Moyo have been arrested for unlawful possession of 175 kilograms of dagga.

The police officer commanding Beitbridge district Chief Superintendent Melusi Ncube said they are still pursuing five more suspects who escaped arrest at the border.

“We have their details and we will soon catch up with them,” he said.

“The suspects arrived from South Africa in a Toyota Hilux towing a trailer loaded with an assortment of goods and were heading for Bulawayo.

“While at the border, they declared that they were carrying groceries and a search of the vehicle was then conducted leading to the discovery of the daagga that had been concealed under a few packets of biscuits and noodles. Some were loaded in a kitchen unit”.

The senior police official said five suspects vanished from the border after realising that three of their associates had been arrested.

Chief Supt Ncube said the police were out in full force to combat the illegal movement of goods among them drugs through the country’s boundary with South Africa.

Security officials are not relenting on their crack down on smuggling activities with the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) working with other agencies recently intercepting South African truck driver at Beitbridge Border Post while trying to smuggle from his country a contraband of 163 kilograms of marijuana (mbanje), worth US$32,600.

It had been concealed within a South African-registered Hino Horse truck carrying vehicles that was in transit through Zimbabwe to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

It is understood that most of the drugs are destined for high density suburbs in Bulawayo and Harare.