*Latvian jailed 15 years for attempting to smuggle 8.3kgs of heroin* https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15tK2K5vkc/ ___________________________________ `February 27, 2025` ___________________________________ > *Follow The Voice Online News WhatsApp channel:* https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaPRQqTHrDZdGRK5yH43 ___________________________________ > *Share The Voice Online News WhatsApp group link:* https://chat.whatsapp.com/KTHAfX3Ii0AFU8wRkz56Uw ___________________________________ > *To advertise with The Voice Online News, talk to us here:* https://wa.me/message/PLR6ANGW2RX4I1 ___________________________________ A Latvian has been jailed for 15 years for attempting to smuggle heroin to India via Robert Mugabe International Airport two years ago. Vitalis Kurdrjasovs (27) was sent to jail by Harare magistrate Donald Ndirowei after a full trial. The state proved that he tried to smuggle 8,3 kgs of heroin which was found hidden in his luggage on September 8 2022 at the airport. Kurdrjasovs was in Zimbabwe as a visitor. Prosector Tendai Tapi proved that on 8 September 2022 at around 1500 hours, the accused proceeded to the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport intending to leave the country on an Ethiopian Airways 1500-hour flight bound for Addis Ababa en route to India. He had two bags of luggage. Kurdrjasovs completed all the check-in formalities with Ethiopian Airlines and handed over his two bags for loading onto the aircraft. “The bags were endorsed with name tag bearing his particulars for identification. He underwent all the Customs and Immigration formalities. “Kurdrjasovs declared that he only had clothing as his baggage to the Airline and Customs officials. “His black bag was intercepted at the Airport Ground Zero scanner by the Airport Aviation Security after it was noticed that it had suspicious visual images,” the court heard. Kurdrjasovs was summoned to the scanner and questioned over the contents of his bag but he maintained that it was his clothing. The black bag was searched in his presence, customs and the police and it was discovered that there were four packages of brownish substances suspected to be dangerous drugs stashed in the bag’s false compartment. A preliminary field test was carried out on the seized brownish substances and they tested positive for heroin. The heroin was seized by customs (ZIMRA). The seized heroin was taken to Forensic Science Laboratory for examination and it tested positive for heroin. The seized drugs recorded a total weight of 8350,2 grammes with a street value of ZWL$6 680 160. Ndirowei also ordered him to pay US$5,000 fine or face five more years in jail. - _*NewZimbabwe*_