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Fungai Lupande Court Reporter
The court yesterday turned down a request by an ex-British soldier, accused of allegedly manufacturing dangerous drugs at his house, to know the whistleblower.

The suspected drug kingpin, James Francis Joscelyne (39), demanded to know the whistleblower or informant before commencing of trial.

However, the investigating officer Detective Sergeant Brighton Samanyika, said the police have no idea who the informer is because it was an anonymous caller.

Harare magistrate Ms Nomsa Sabarauta, dismissed the request and referred the matter to a regional court due to the aggravated nature of the allegations.

Joscelyne’s is represented by Advocate Sylvester Hashiti.

It is alleged that on July 20 the CID Drugs and Narcotics went to Joscelyne’s house at No. 9 Marion Close, Glen Lorne in Harare after receiving a tip-off that he was manufacturing drugs.

The house was allegedly searched and the police recovered two sachets containing whitish powder suspected to be cocaine in Joscelyne’s bedroom.

The sachets weighed 8, 5 grams and have a street value of $640.

They also recovered 43 green ecstasy tablets with a street value of $129.

Upon being quizzed Joscelyne led the police into his kitchen where a bowl containing ecstasy powder and several empty plastic packages were recovered.

It is alleged that his bedroom was searched again and the police recovered two drug processing machines, a single punch pill maker and dagga compressing machine.

The court heard that Joscelyne was also in possession of micro crystalline cellulose used in pharmaceutical tablet making.

Green and pink food colourants for the pills were also found in the bedroom as well as 300 empty capsules.

Joscelyne is a former British Army soldier attached to the Queen’s Regiment.

He retired in 2002 before moving to Zimbabwe.