Online Reporter
B-Metro Reporter
POLICE have smashed a dangerous network of cough syrup peddlers after intercepting truckloads of unregistered medicines in Beitbridge and Harare.
On 24 August 2025, alert detectives at the Beitbridge Border Post pounced on truck driver Asha Muchenje who had tried to sneak in 19 boxes of Broncleer cough syrup and three boxes of Astra-Pain cough syrup stashed behind his seat. Each box carried dozens of 100ml bottles of the addictive liquid.
Barely 24 hours later, detectives swooped on Southerton, Harare, where Claris Matorerwei (53) and Admore Gaadza (53) were busted with 12 boxes of Astra-Pain cough syrup in their Toyota Hilux.
Still on the same road, another suspect, Munyaradzi Korovedzai (46), was caught with 20 boxes of Broncleer cough syrup hidden in his Toyota Corolla.
Police say these medicines are unregistered and dangerous, warning that they often contain unverified chemical compositions that can destroy the liver, damage the kidneys, and cause fatal overdoses.
“Unregistered medicines are a ticking time bomb because they bypass quality checks and pose serious health risks to unsuspecting users,” police said.
Broncleer and Astra-Pain are notorious for being abused as cheap highs, with addicts mixing them with fizzy drinks to get intoxicated. Doctors warn that misuse can lead to respiratory failure, organ damage, or even death.
Police have urged the public to shun backyard drug dealers and only buy medicines from licensed pharmacies to avoid becoming the next statistic in the cough syrup crisis.
