Kombi carrying 17 bags of dagga rams into police vehicle

A Nissan NV350 kombi carrying nearly 280kg of mbanje rammed into a police vehicle at a roadblock in Mvuma before two suspects abandoned the vehicle and fled into the darkness, police have said.

The incident occurred at about 3.40am last Friday at the 188km peg along the Harare-Masvingo Road.

Midlands provincial police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko confirmed the incident, saying eight officers had mounted a traffic checkpoint targeting dangerous drugs, armed robberies, stock theft and wanted persons.

Police signalled the white Nissan NV350, registration number AGS 6929, to stop as it approached the checkpoint while travelling from Masvingo towards Harare.

However, the driver allegedly failed to stop and swerved to avoid a tipper truck that had just been released from the checkpoint.

The Nissan subsequently crashed into the rear of a marked ZRP Mvuma Ford Ranger that had been parked off the road.

The driver and an accomplice abandoned the kombi and fled on foot into the darkness.

Police searched the vehicle and recovered mbanje packed in 17 bags. The drugs were subsequently weighed and found to total 279.38kg.

The Nissan and the suspected drugs have been secured as exhibits while police work to identify and arrest the two suspects who escaped.

The recovery comes weeks after two women were arrested along Shurugwi Road on July 25 while allegedly transporting 10 boxes containing 100ml bottles of Benylin with Codeine.

Police said the medicine was not registered in terms of the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act.

Inspector Mahoko appealed to members of the public with information that could help identify or locate the suspects to report to their nearest police station.