Fuel Tank Drug Bust: Chipinge Police Arrest Inter Africa Bus Crew and Passenger

CHIPINGE – A late-night police operation in Chipinge on Tuesday led to the arrest of two bus crew members and a passenger after authorities discovered more than 66 kilograms of dagga hidden in a Harare-bound Inter Africa bus.

According to police, the bust occurred around 11:30pm along the Ngundu–Tanganda Highway following a tip-off about a suspected drug trafficking run. Officers intercepted the bus, registration number AGL6164, at Ratings Turn-off and conducted a thorough search.

Manicaland provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka confirmed the arrests, naming the suspects as driver Abraham Marakia (62), conductor Judah Gondo (27), and passenger Nyasha Jojo.

“Police recovered 10 compressed packs of dagga inside a black bag and another two inside a satchel. Gondo admitted ownership and allegedly tried to bribe the officers, but they refused,” said Chinyoka.

The search did not stop there. Officers ordered the driver to unlock compartments attached to the bus’s fuel tanks, where they discovered 13 compressed packs of dagga in the right tank, seven in the left, and one hidden near the dashboard.

The bus was escorted to Middle Sabi Police Station for further inspection. During questioning, Gondo implicated Jojo, who admitted that the satchel belonged to him but denied ownership of the larger stash.

The recovered dagga was weighed at ZIMPOST and recorded at 66.45kg. All three suspects now face charges of unlawful possession of dagga under Section 157 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23.

In a separate case, police also arrested Delight Sithole (25) of Madhuku Village, Chief Musikavanhu, after finding 7.275kg of dagga on a Lioness truck travelling from Manzvire to Tanganda.