News / National
Zimbabwe police intercept 17.2kg of heroin at RGM and Vic Falls airports
04 Oct 2022 at 22:14hrs | Views
Zimbabwean police intercepted a total of 17.2 kilogrammes of heroin in two busts at the Victoria Falls International Airport and the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
An Indian national and a Latvian, both now under arrest, were allegedly trying to smuggle the drugs to India.
Latvian national Vitalis Kudrjasovs was arrested at the Robert Mugabe International Airport on September 8 before boarding a flight to Addis Ababa, with his final destination listed as New Delhi in India.
He allegedly had 8kg of heroin stuffed in the lining of his bag.
On Monday, Kudrjasovs appeared before Harare magistrate Taurai Manuwere who remanded him in custody to October 24 to allow the National Prosecuting Authority to find an interpreter.
In a statement on Tuesday, police said Rafiq, 24, was busted at the Victoria Falls International Airport on October 1. She too intended to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Adis Ababa, connecting to India.
When her luggage was scanned, she was found to be carrying 9.2kg of heroin stuffed in the lining of her bag.
Heroin is a highly addictive drug made from the seed pod of the opium poppy plant. The plants are mainly grown in Southeast and Southwest Asia, Mexico, and Colombia – raising questions how Zimbabwe has become the source of the drug.
An Indian national and a Latvian, both now under arrest, were allegedly trying to smuggle the drugs to India.
Latvian national Vitalis Kudrjasovs was arrested at the Robert Mugabe International Airport on September 8 before boarding a flight to Addis Ababa, with his final destination listed as New Delhi in India.
He allegedly had 8kg of heroin stuffed in the lining of his bag.
On Monday, Kudrjasovs appeared before Harare magistrate Taurai Manuwere who remanded him in custody to October 24 to allow the National Prosecuting Authority to find an interpreter.
In a statement on Tuesday, police said Rafiq, 24, was busted at the Victoria Falls International Airport on October 1. She too intended to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Adis Ababa, connecting to India.
When her luggage was scanned, she was found to be carrying 9.2kg of heroin stuffed in the lining of her bag.
Heroin is a highly addictive drug made from the seed pod of the opium poppy plant. The plants are mainly grown in Southeast and Southwest Asia, Mexico, and Colombia – raising questions how Zimbabwe has become the source of the drug.
Source - The Herald
