By Felix Mwatutsa

MARONDERA– A daring 49-year-old woman was recently arrested and sentenced to a 29-month jail term after being found guilty of possessing 6kg of dagga without a license.

Siphelani Phiri was arrested after failing to produce a license which authorises her to possess the drug, also known as marijuana/mbanje.

The police spokesperson for Mashonaland East province, Inspector Simon Charovachiyi said on October 14,just after midnight, Wengai Chinofura (43) was driving a Scania truck towing two trailers from Beitbridge to Harare.

He was with his wife, Emelda Maburisa (33) and the convicted suspect whom they had picked up in Beitbridge.

Along the way, the driver was stopped by the police roadblock and a search was conducted, leading to the discovery of two compressed packets wrapped in a plastic bag emitting a strong smell of dagga in the convict’s bag which she was holding.

She was arrested after failing to produce a license authorising her to possess dagga and was detained at ZRP Featherstone. The recovered dagga weighed approximately 6kg and was secured at Featherstone Police Station.

On October 21, Phiri was convicted and sentenced to two and half years’ imprisonment. Four months of the sentence were suspended on condition that she does not commit a similar offense in the next five years.