Cape Town – Police in Zimbabwe reportedly arrested a Nigerian pastor at Victoria Falls Airport after he was found in possession of cocaine worth $126 752 000 stuffed in hats and jackets.
Acting on a tip-off, police arrested Desmond Onyii Onuoha (46) of Ruwa Paschoal 484 590 Paulo-Brazil or number 22 Samuel Eknola Street Lagos in Nigeria, on October 22, reported the Zimbabwean state-owned newspaper, Chronicle.
Following his arrest, he appeared before regional magistrate Mr Collet Ncube.
He faced drug trafficking and possession charges.
“The court heard that on 22 October 2022, detectives from the Drugs and Narcotics Victoria Falls received information such that Onuoha was traveling from Brazil via Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia using a Nigerian passport number B50060514 on-board an Ethiopian Airways ET0829 and was thought to convey drugs with him to Victoria Falls.
On 23/10/22, Police in Victoria Falls arrested a foreign national, Onuoha Desmond Onyii (46) at the Victoria Falls International airport after he was found in possession of approximately 1kg of cocaine stashed in the linings of hats and jackets.
— Zimbabwe Republic Police (@PoliceZimbabwe) October 25, 2022
“The following day at around 11:30 am a team of detectives continued to Victoria Falls International Airport where they acquired a passenger manifest for the incoming airplanes and established that Onuoha was on the list. Around 12:30 pm, the detectives identified Onuoha and noticed him as he went through. He checked in using a Ghanaian passport number G0559957. Detectives intercepted him and took him to the Victoria Falls Police Post,” the report said.
According to Zimnow, in his defence, Onuoha stated that he had no knowledge of the drugs as the bag containing the cocaine belonged to someone else and he was simply delivering it on request.
“I’m a pastor in Nigeria and so I announced in church that I was travelling to Zimbabwe to see my mother-in-law for paying lobola in Bulawayo. I have been legally married to her since February of this year.
“One of my congregants then approached me and asked me to drop a bag for someone at Victoria Falls Airport since I had indicated that I would pass through there to see a friend.
“I don’t know anything about the bag especially its contents let alone the mentioned drugs. I was surprised when the police searched the bags and found drugs,” the report quoted Onuoha as saying.
His trial was set to continue this week, the report said.
Chronicle reported that a number of tourists had been arrested at the resort city while trying to smuggle dangerous drugs at the airport this year.
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Complied by Betha madhomu
