E500 FOR POWDER IN HONDA FIT EXHAUST

MANZINI – It’s raining money for Honda Fit owners. This is because some foreign nationals are going around purchasing a certain residue found in these types of vehicles.

The buyers pay E500 for the substance.
The substance which is in powder form is found in the front of the exhaust system of the vehicles.

Journalists from this publication went undercover to find out more about the new ‘gold’ after being alerted by concerned members of the public.
The people who called the publication suspected that the powder was used to manufacture narcotics.

“Why would they pay so much if this thing is not going to be used for drugs?” one of the concerned people rhetorically asked.
The journalists first visited an informal garage which operates around Mhlaleni, Matsapha.

Posing as a client who had brought his car for repairs, the journalist asked if the powder could be extracted at the garage.
The response was affirmative.

Powder

After extraction, the mechanic explained that the powder would be given to certain people who in turn export it to South Africa. He further said they would pay E500 cash upfront .

Asked about its use, the mechanic alleged that it was used to manufacture illegal drugs such as nyaope.

Explaining about the process of extracting the powder, the expert said they removed the whole exhaust system from the car.
“They then take out the powder from the front part of the exhaust system,” the mechanic said.
Still posing as a Honda Fit owner, the journalists called the buyer who was a female with a foreign accent which resembles that of East Africa.

Buying

The woman confirmed that they were buying the powder for E500 from Honda Fit owners.
Asked if the price was negotiable, she said: “It was not because even in other countries such as Zambia, Zimbabwe and Tanzania, the price was fixed at E500,”

Purchasing

She mentioned that there were six agents in the country who were going around purchasing the substance.
The agent also concurred with the mechanic that the vehicle would continue to function without any challenges.

“In fact, it performs better. Usually, when the vehicle starts to lose power, the mechanics remove this substance from the exhaust system. They then dispose of it or sell it to us,” she said.

She said they had been in the Kingdom for the past three months and they would be leaving on Monday. From the Kingdom of Eswatini, the agent said they would head to Kenya.
Today, she said they would be at Luve.

Recycling

Asked what they do with the powder, the agent said they sell it for recycling in South Africa and also in Namibia.
In fact, she said they were supposed to export the substance to bigger markets in Dubai and China. However, she was very vague on exactly what they recycle it for.

Yesterday, the agents, with their mechanics, were found in Mbabane, striping vehicles with the intention of extracting the powder.
When called later and informed that we were in fact journalists, the female agent vehemently denied being part of the people harvesting the powder from the vehicles.

“It is better that you ask the people doing this. I will be meeting them tomorrow (today). I do not know anything. In fact, they were in Mbabane today (yesterday),” she said. (Worth noting is that she was also part of those people who were in Mbabane and spoke to this journalist face to face).

When told about deadlines, the agent said she would try to get the telephone numbers of the buyers.
Asked about the harvested powder, she reiterated what she had said earlier that it was recycled.

“This thing is like the used battery or scrap metal. It is recycled. I didn’t hear this from them, but other owners of Honda Fit owners,” the agent responded.
Asked if she was part of the buyers, the woman agent responded with an emphatic, ‘no’.
“I had just gone there with my brother in his car. That is where I got to know about this thing.

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