HARARE, Aug. 6 (NewsDay Live) — The State has opposed bail for Kelsea Tadiwa Tafirenyika and her maternal uncle, Isaac Arab Jessub (23), who are facing charges of possession and dealing in dangerous drugs.
Tafirenyika was arrested on Tuesday after police allegedly found her in possession of pethidine, morphine and cannabis at her Greystone Park home.
Jessub, who was arrested earlier, allegedly implicated Tafirenyika as his supplier.
The two are represented by Malvern Mapako of Rubaya and Chatambudza law firm.
The State, represented by Lancelot Mutsokoti, opposed bail, arguing that the accused persons were flight risks and that investigations were still ongoing.
Mutsokoti led evidence from investigating officer Niverd Charuma, who told magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa that police were still investigating the source of the drugs, some of which were labelled “only for use in Malawi”.
Charuma said police received information on August 4 that Jessub was allegedly dealing in dangerous drugs and keeping some of them in a parked Mercedes-Benz.
“We carried out surveillance and observed him seated in the driver’s seat of a Mercedes-Benz while repackaging some ampoules into two envelopes,” Charuma said.
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He said police approached Jessub, identified themselves and asked to search him.
“He consented and I opened the envelopes and noticed that one khaki envelope contained 13 ampoules of morphine and the other had five ampoules of pethidine,” Charuma said.
Police also allegedly recovered an empty box of morphine, another empty box of pethidine and two 100ml bottles of Broncleer from underneath the vehicle’s driver’s seat.
Charuma said Jessub was arrested and questioned about the source of the drugs, leading investigators to Tafirenyika.
He told the court that Jessub was Tafirenyika’s maternal uncle.
The investigating officer said the State was also seeking to verify Jessub’s residential address, criminal record and travel documents before bail could be considered.
Charuma further told the court that some of the drugs were labelled for use in Malawi, while pethidine was not registered for use in Zimbabwe.
He said Tafirenyika was staying with her sister and that a maid, gardener and chef also lived at the property’s servants’ quarters.
According to the State, police later raided Tafirenyika’s Greystone Park residence and recovered pethidine, morphine and cannabis from the house and a vehicle parked in the yard.
Police allege that when detectives entered her bedroom at about 8pm, they found Tafirenyika seated on her bed counting ampoules and placing them on the bed.
The prosecution alleges that officers recovered eight ampoules of Fresenius pethidine, 10 ampoules of Verpat pethidine and seven 1ml ampoules of Fresenius Morphine Sulphate from her.
A further search allegedly led to the recovery of 72 ampoules of Verpat pethidine, 64 Fresenius pethidine ampoules and 43 ampoules of Morphine Sulphate from drawers in the bedroom.
Police also allege that five rolls of dagga were found concealed in the driver’s armrest of her white Lamborghini.
The State said the recovered drugs were seized as exhibits and valued at US$204.
Prosecutors further argued that Tafirenyika was found in possession of Verpat pethidine intended for foreign markets, suggesting that she had foreign connections she could use to evade prosecution.
Jessub is also alleged to have been selling the drugs at Sam Levy’s Village in Borrowdale.
The bail hearing is set to continue today.
