National

Indian tourist found with 9.2kg heroin at Victoria Falls International Airport appears in court

Published

3 years ago

October 4, 2022

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

An Indian tourist, who was found with a huge stash of heroin in his luggage at the Victoria Falls International Airport at the weekend, was on Monday remanded in custody to October 17 for trial.

Shaikh Zeenat Khatoon(43) from Mumbai appeared Victoria Falls resident magistrate Godswill Mavenge charged with unlawful dealing in dangerous drugs after she was found with 9.2 kilogrammes of heroin on Saturday.

Khatoon denied the charges.

Prosecutors said the drugs were valued at $476 840 000.

Khatoon was arrested as she was doing check-in to board an Ethiopian Airways flight en-route to Addis Ababa before proceeding to India.

Detectives from the drugs and narcotics allegedly received information to the effect that Khatoon was in possession of drugs and they pursued the lead.

At the airport the detectives observed Khatoon’s movements as she entered the departure gate carrying a silver travelling bag and a small navy blue bag.

As she went through all security checks, detectives who were scanning luggage detected that one of her bags had suspicious contents and this prompted them to invite her to the scanning point for further searches.

“The silver travelling bag was opened in the presence of the accused, leading to the recovery and seizure of prepared opium, which was precisely stuffed in the bottom lining of the travelling bag,” the court record read.

“The accused was arrested and it was established that she had an Indian passport and a ticket to Addis Ababa, en-route to India.”

Police said Khatoon’ s travel records showed that she arrived in the country through the same airport on September 20 and checked at a local lodge (name withheld) until October 1.

Khatoon told the detectives that the luggage was given to her by an unknown female black person.

She claimed she was linked to the woman by an online agent that she met on the internet to take the bag on her behalf.

A field test was conducted and the results shown that the drugs were heroin.

Prosecutors opposed bail saying Khatoon was a flight risk.

They also feared that she will interfere with evidence, abscond court or commit other offences judging by the nature of her charge.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

1 month ago

April 16, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

A National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) locomotive suffered significant damage after catching fire while transporting export coal to Zambi. The incident occurred between Kalala and Matetsi sidings, resulting in the explosion of the locomotive’s fuel tanks.

According to the NRZ press statement on Monday, “A National Railways of Zimbabwe locomotive suffered some damages after it caught fire this afternoon while transporting export coal to Zambia.” Fortunately, the crew members on board managed to escape unharmed.

The NRZ responded swiftly to the incident, dispatching a rescue train with crews to the site. The team successfully extinguished the fire, preventing further damage. However, the locomotive itself sustained considerable damage.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, with investigations currently underway. “Investigations are already underway to establish the cause of the fire and the amount of damage to the locomotive,” the NRZ statement read.

National

Ranger killed by elephant in Kariba

Published

3 months ago

March 14, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A 62-year-old ranger, Josphat Mandishara, was tragically killed by an elephant in Kariba yesterday.

Mandishara, who worked for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), was on patrol in the Gatche-gatche area with fellow rangers and police officers.

At around 10 pm, Mandishara returned to the harbor where their boat was docked, and that’s when he encountered the elephant. The elephant charged at him, causing fatal injuries. His colleagues were nearby, resupplying at the Gatche-gatche Irrigation Scheme.

Mandishara’s body was taken to Kariba District Hospital for a post-mortem, and the incident was reported to the police.

ZimParks has sent a team to manage the problem elephant and prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Director General of ZimParks, Prof. Edson Gandiwa, and his team have sent condolences to Mandishara’s family, friends, and colleagues. Mandishara will be remembered for his dedication to wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe.

National

ZIMRA customs officer appears in court for criminal abuse of office

Published

4 months ago

February 3, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) customs officer, Phillip Kuvenga, has been accused of criminal abuse of office for allegedly assisting in the importation of banned motor vehicles.

Kuvenga, 28, who is stationed at Victoria Falls, allegedly received documents from clients, completed valuation sheets, and carried out the valuation process. However, he is accused of endorsing different chassis numbers to deceive his supervisors during the validation and approval process.

After obtaining approval, Kuvenga would capture the correct chassis numbers in the ASYCUDA World System. He would then alter or replace the documents submitted earlier to his supervisors.

The offense came to light when a motor vehicle that had not yet arrived in Zimbabwe was found to have been already registered. A thorough check by ZIMRA led to Kuvenga’s arrest.

Kuvenga appeared in court on February 1, where he was denied bail by Magistrate Gift Manyka. He is expected to appear in court again today for another bail hearing.