Foreign National Among Two Arrested as Police Intercept Drug Haul Worth Thousands

Chegutu - Police have dealt a significant blow to suspected narcotics trafficking rings following two high-profile interceptions that resulted in the seizure of illicit drugs valued at over US$13,000.

The operations, conducted in Chegutu and Beitbridge over a 48-hour period, are part of the Zimbabwe Republic Police intensified vigilance along the country’s major highway and border corridors.

In the first incident on March 18, 2026, police detectives in Chegutu intercepted a truck at the 114-kilometre peg along the Harare-Bulawayo Road.

The tactical stop led to the arrest of a foreign national, identified as 33-year-old Mkendwa Kibwana Hassani.

Upon searching the vehicle, law enforcement recovered 12 bales of dagga with a cumulative weight of 130 kilogrammes.

Police officials confirmed that the contraband has an estimated street value of US$13,000.00.

The interception along one of the country's busiest arterial roads suggests a sophisticated transit operation intended for distribution in major urban centers.

"Police in Chegutu intercepted a truck... and arrested a foreign national, Mkendwa Kibwana Hassani (33) for unlawful possession of dagga," police said.

Following the success, a second operation was executed on March 19, 2026, in the border town of Beitbridge.

Police moving along the Limpopo River at the New Bridge area arrested 48-year-old Ndandatho Manyewu.

During the arrest, officers recovered 20 cobs of dagga weighing 17 kilogrammes.

In an attempt to evade detection, the suspect had allegedly stashed the narcotics inside washing powder cardboard boxes.

The use of everyday consumer packaging, specifically washing powder cardboard boxes, an ncreasingly creative method utilised by traffickers to move illicit substances across the Limpopo River, a notorious transit point for contraband.

These arrests come amid a broader national campaign against drug and substance abuse in Zimbabwe.

The government has recently scaled up the "Clean-Up" operations, targeting both high-level traffickers and local distribution hubs.

Security experts note that the Harare-Bulawayo highway and the Beitbridge border remain high-priority zones due to their strategic roles in regional trade and, consequently, illegal transit.

The two suspects are expected to appear in court separately to face charges of unlawful possession of dangerous drugs.