A 44-year-old Victoria Falls woman has been sentenced to four years in prison for unlawful possession of 2.05kg of dagga after she was arrested at the Victoria Falls border post following a drug-detection operation by Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) officers.

Nyarai Churu was convicted of contravening section 157(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23.

Victoria Falls magistrate Fungai Dzimiri sentenced Churu to four years’ imprisonment, with one year suspended for five years on condition that she does not commit a similar offence. The remaining three years are therefore effective imprisonment.

The State was represented by prosecutor Cynthia Mayibongwe Makhaya.

The case arose on 20 September 2026 when ZIMRA K9 officers were conducting patrols along the Victoria Falls border perimeter, targeting people using undesignated entry and exit points.

According to the court papers, the officers intercepted Churu’s co-accused, 43-year-old Elijah Nyoni, while he was entering through an undesignated route carrying a red satchel.

A drug-detection dog was used to search the bag and indicated the presence of drugs.

Nyoni said he was hired to carry the bag

According to a statement recorded from Nyoni, he told the officers that the bag did not belong to him and that he had been hired by Churu to carry it across the border.

The court documents record Nyoni as saying he was only carrying the bag on Churu’s behalf to avoid a border checkpoint.

He then told the officers that the owner of the bag was waiting at a taxi rank and offered to show them where she was.

The officers followed Nyoni and, according to their statement, saw him hand the satchel to Churu.

They then approached Churu and asked her to accompany them to the supervisor’s office so that her bag could be searched.

The court papers state that Churu opened the satchel and officers found a large black plastic bag containing two large plastic bags of dagga.

The recovered drugs were seized and sent to Zimpost for weighing. The weight certificate recorded the total weight as 2.05kg.

Churu admitted ownership

According to the statement by ZIMRA K9 officer Tapiwa Machisa, Churu was questioned about the drugs after they were found in her satchel and admitted that she was the owner.

The court papers state that both accused persons were subsequently arrested and taken to the police station for further management.

Nyoni’s statement, however, presented a different position regarding his role. He maintained that he had been hired to transport the bag and did not know what was inside it.

The documents describe the role of a person carrying goods across the border on behalf of another as part of the circumstances in which Nyoni was intercepted.

Nyoni acquitted

Although Nyoni was initially charged together with Churu, the court record shows that he was not convicted.

The record states that the charge against accused number two was withdrawn after he pleaded not guilty, and that he was subsequently acquitted.

Churu therefore remained the accused person convicted and sentenced in the matter.

The court also ordered that the recovered dagga be forfeited to the State.