Shila Khumalo (50) of Johannesburg denied dealing in
cocaine when she appeared before Chief Magistrate Mr Munamato Mutevedzi.
The charges had been upgraded from possession of dangerous
drugs to dealing in the drugs since the amount allegedly seized could only be
used for sale.
Khumalo was arrested last week at Robert Gabriel Mugabe
International Airport after sachets of contraband cocaine were found in plastic
balls stashed in her undergarments.
Upon her arrest she allegedly swallowed 53 plastic balls of
the drug before she excreted some of them. The State applied for custodial
remand to allow her to excrete the remaining balls.
She denied the charges when asked to plead by Mr Mutevedzi.
Appearing for the State, Mrs Tinashe Makiya alleges that on
May 9 detectives received information to the effect that Khumalo was travelling
from Brazil aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight and was expected to land at the
airport the following day.
The court heard that on May 10 detectives from CID Drugs
and Narcotics teamed up with members of the CIO and Zimra at the airport and
intercepted Khumalo while she was passing through the immigration counter at
around 1.30pm.
She was searched and she was found with the whitish
substance suspected to be cocaine in her undergarments. The State said the
tests made on the substance were positive to cocaine.
Khumalo is expected to be back in court on May 26 for trial. Herald
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