COCAINE WAS FOR MY USE : SA DRUG MULE

The South African woman who last week made the headlines after being found in possession of close to one kg of cocaine worth $7 million told the trial magistrate that the drugs she was found in possession of was for her own use and she was in transit to her home in South Africa.

The suspect Shila Khumalo, 50, pleaded not guilty to dealing in illegal drugs when she appeared before Chief Magistrate Munamato Mutevedzi and told the court in her defence that she was already in the green zone when she was arrested and was in transit to South Africa.

She denied ever dealing in drugs and told the court that she never met or interacted with anyone in Zimbabwe other than the arresting details, denied having connections in Zimbabwe and that there is no third party or second person that she got into contact with in Zimbabwe.

She further added that the drugs she was found in possession of were for her own use and she never sold any drugs here in Zimbabwe as she is not in the business of selling and buying drugs, denied importing drugs into Zimbabwe as an import is only complete upon reaching the port of destination.

The State is alleging that on May 10, Khumalo who resides at Number 48 Drukenburg, Johannesburg South Africa arrived in Zimbabwe with a contraband of cocaine aboard on Ethiopian Airways Flight.

The police had received a tip off the previous day and a team of detectives from CID Drugs and Narcotics, CIO and ZIMRA and was waiting for her to arrive and when she got to arrivals, she was intercepted and a search was conducted. H Metro

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