A BRAZILIAN national is in custody having been nabbed at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport with cocaine worth $36 million.
Guilherme Sodre Alvenaz Da Silveria, 22, was not asked to plead to allegations of dealing in dangerous drugs when he appeared before Harare magistrate Denis Mangosa yesterday.
Da Silveria was remanded in custody and advised to apply for bail at the High Court.
Prosecutors allege that on April 5, detectives received information that Da Silveria was flying into the country on board an Ethiopian Airlines flight with the contraband.
The court heard that the police went to the airport and intercepted the Brazilian upon arrival before searching his luggage.
Detectives allegedly discovered the cocaine wrapped in a foil paper stashed in the lining of Da Silveria’s jacket.
This resulted in his arrest and tests on the contraband were positive for cocaine and weighing 4.30kg, prosecutors allege.
Da Silveria’s arrest comes after three women were also arrested for trying to smuggle cocaine worth $2 million into the country.
Karoline Silva Mafra, a Brazilian national, was nabbed on arrival at the airport on allegations of cocaine possession.
