A SOUTH African woman, who was suspected to have ingested cocaine in an attempt to smuggle the drug into the country, could soon be set free after the second X-ray results failed to detect the said drug in her body.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
The suspect, Isaura Masinga (40) of Germiston, South Africa, yesterday appeared before Harare magistrate Barbara Chimboza, who further remanded her to May 17 for bail application.
She was arrested at Harare International Airport on May 5 while coming from Brazil after the State received a tip-off that she was carrying cocaine.
However, after her arrest she was immediately referred for an ultra-sound scan at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals which initially confirmed the presence of ingested body packs in her abdomen.
Masinga’s lawyer had opposed her client to be put on remand, saying the scan may have picked a foetus as she was pregnant, but this assertion was opposed prosecutor Michael Reza, who told the court that the detectives were tipped off by a reliable source that Masinga had ingested drugs.
A second ultra-sound scan produced in court yesterday confirmed Masinga was not pregnant, but no body packs, which were initially picked by the first scan, could be seen.
“No bowel masses seen. However, the use of ultra-sound in detecting ingested foreign bodies is limited,” the report by Dr T Sibanda read.
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Sibanda recommended a further CT scan assessment.
Reza’s application for postponement was granted with the hope that the drugs would be detected on the third scan.
According to the State, on May 5 this year and at Harare International Airport, a tip-off was received to the effect that Masinga, who had just arrived abode a United Arab Emirates plane, was in possession of cocaine.
Acting on the tip-off, detectives intercepted her and a search was conducted on her and her luggage, but nothing was recovered.
A scan was then conducted to establish if Masinga had swallowed the cocaine and apparently it showed there were some ingested body packs in her stomach, leading to her arrest.
