Bulawayo Man Handed Six-Year Sentence for Drug Possession

A 31-year-old Bulawayo resident has been sentenced to six years in prison after being found in possession of cocaine and large quantities of cannabis.

Darian-Lee Kevin Lloyd Jackson, who resides in West Somerton, was convicted after pleading guilty before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Mark Dzira. The court suspended two years of the sentence for five years on condition of good behaviour, leaving Jackson to serve an effective four years behind bars.

Jackson was arrested together with his wife, Lakin Lee Robinson (32), who has denied the charges and is expected to stand trial.

The pair were apprehended in July during an operation carried out by detectives from the CID Drugs and Narcotics Unit in Bulawayo’s central business district.

In mitigation, the magistrate noted that Jackson was a first-time offender who showed remorse and saved the court’s time by admitting guilt.

Prosecutor Ms Nkanyezi Xaba told the court that police received intelligence indicating that the couple was selling cocaine and dagga in and around the city centre using a white vehicle.

Detectives placed the vehicle under surveillance before intercepting it and conducting a search, which led to the recovery of cocaine sachets, cannabis, cannabis gummies and sweets infused with dagga concealed in different compartments.

Following the arrest, police searched the couple’s home where they uncovered a much larger haul, including kilograms of loose dagga stored in buckets, prepared dagga cigarettes, and additional drug-laced edibles.

In total, police seized about nine kilogrammes of cannabis and several grammes of cocaine. The drugs are estimated to be worth more than ZWG$400 000 on the streets.

The court heard that the accused processed some of the drugs into edible products, including sweets and confectionery infused with cannabis.