BY AWAKHIWE KHUMALO
A Nigerian national allegedly tried to smuggle 2.33 kilogrammes of cocaine through the Victoria Falls International Airport, which was hidden in linings of hats and jackets that were on his travelling bag, a magistrates’ court has been told.
Onuoha Desmond Onyii (46) was not asked to plead to the drug smuggling charges when he appeared before Victoria Falls resident magistrate Godswill Mavenge on Tuesday.
Onyii was arrested by police at the airport on Sunday with the cocaine stash valued at $126 752 000.
Prosecutor Portia Moyo said on October 23, detectives from police’s Criminal Investigation Department under the Drug and Narcotics section received information showing that Onyii was in possession of cocaine, which he intended to smuggle into Zimbabwe.
A trap was set up for the Nigerian.
“Whilst at the airport, detectives observed the accused at the arrivals gate with two bags wrapped with red plastic wrapping paper, a small brown satchel and a small brown travelling bag,” Moyo said.
“The accused went through all check-in immigration and customs formalities from Ethiopian Airlines and the detectives, who pretended to be agents told the accused person that they will assist him to go to a hotel in Victoria Falls.
“The detectives then assisted the accused person with his bags to the vehicle outside the airport terminal before introducing themselves and outlining their mission to the accused person.”
Moyo said Onyii’s bags were taken to police for a search.
“Some white substance was recovered stashed in linings of some hats and jackets which were in two big bags,” she added.
A preliminary test of the substances was done in Onyii’s presence and the results came out positive for cocaine, leading to his arrest.
“During the arrest of the accused it was established that he had a Ghanaian passport- number G0559957 and a Nigerian passport number B50060514,” Moyo revealed.
He had travelled from Brazil via Ethiopia to Zimbabwe.
He allegedly used his Nigerian passport to book his flight in Brazil but used his Ghanaian passport on arrival in Zimbabwe.
In opposing bail, Moyo argued that Onyii was a flight risk.
“(The) accused is a foreign national and his place of residence in Zimbabwe is not known,” she argued.
“The accused is likely to interfere with the evidence and the main supplier of the contraband is still to be accounted for and if the accused is released on bail this will jeopardise and derail investigations.”
“The gravity of the offence the accused is facing if convicted carries a long custodial mandatory sentence, so there are high chances for the accused to abscond.”
Mavenge remanded Onyii in custody to November 7 where he will appear at the regional court in Hwange. He was advised to apply for bail at the High Court.