Harare — POLICE have arrested seven suspected members of a drug trafficking syndicate, including two Mozambicans, and recovered 1 400kg of mbanje worth about US$1,4 million.

Deputy chief police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Oliver Mandipaka confirmed the arrest of the suspects in Nyanga on Tuesday last week, saying they were still assisting police with investigations.

He said the seven were arrested after three tyres of the Isuzu pick-up truck they were using to ferry the contraband punctured along the Nyamapanda-Bhinya Road in Ruwangwe.

Chief Supt Mandipaka said of the seven suspects, four are from St Mary's, one from Damofalls while the other two are Mozambicans.

He said last week on Monday, a member of the neighbourhood watch committee who was looking for firewood along Nyamatore River in Kosoko Village, came across 16 x 90kg bags of mbanje and a black suitcase inside which was another lot of prepared mbanje, hidden in a bush.

"He walked for a few metres and saw a metallic grey Isuzu pick-up truck with a canopy parked nearby and became suspicious," said Chief Supt Mandipaka.

"As he approached the vehicle, he saw a person fleeing from the scene before he discovered that there were traces of mbanje in the vehicle and three of its tyres had punctures."