Prosper Dembedza

Herald Correspondent

A POLICE officer attached to the CID Drugs and Narcotics Unit in Beitbridge has appeared in court on allegations of smuggling dagga and unregistered pharmaceutical medicines into Zimbabwe through illegal crossing points along the Limpopo River.

John Mashoko (37) appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Lazini Ncube facing charges of contravening the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act, dealing in dangerous drugs and criminal abuse of duty as a public officer.

According to the State, on July 18, 2026, detectives from the Police Intelligence National Crack Team for Anti-Drug Trafficking, led by Detective Assistant Inspector Simbi Padzakashamba, received information that Mashoko had smuggled dagga and pharmaceutical medicines into Zimbabwe the previous day through illegal crossing points west of the Beitbridge Border Post.

Prosecutors allege that Mashoko used his private motor vehicle as a getaway vehicle to transport the contraband from the Limpopo River after it had been smuggled across the border.

Police allegedly received further information that Mashoko had booked Room 1 at Buffalo Lodge, situated at the 15-kilometre peg along the Beitbridge-Masvingo Road, while travelling to Harare, where he allegedly intended to sell the drugs.

Acting on the intelligence, detectives proceeded to the lodge, where they located Mashoko’s vehicle parked within the premises and mounted an overnight surveillance operation.

The court heard that on July 19, Mashoko checked out of the lodge in the company of Tawanda Kumbirai (27), a nurse employed by the Ministry of Health and Child Care at Beitbridge General Hospital.

It is alleged that Mashoko took the driver’s seat while Kumbirai occupied the front passenger seat before detectives approached the pair, identified themselves and sought permission to search the vehicle.

The search allegedly led to the recovery of 26 compressed packets of dagga weighing 40,8 kilogrammes and 200 bottles of 100ml BronCleer cough syrup containing 10mg of codeine, which had been concealed in the boot of the vehicle.

Mashoko and Kumbirai were subsequently arrested.

Police also seized the dagga, the pharmaceutical medicines, the vehicle and two mobile phones — a Samsung Galaxy A17 and a Samsung Galaxy A16.

According to the State, a preliminary examination of the mobile phones uncovered text messages, WhatsApp conversations and audio recordings allegedly exchanged with various individuals regarding the acquisition, transportation, distribution and sale of dagga and unregistered pharmaceutical medicines.

The recovered dagga and pharmaceutical medicines have an estimated street value of US$50 960.