Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
Three Zimbabweans men among them two family members have been arrested along with a man from eSwatini for smuggling an assortment of prohibited cough syrup into the country through an illegal crossing point at the Limpopo River.
The quartet had filled 25 litre containers with the Broncleer cough syrup containing codeine which is prohibited in the country.
It is believed that Broncleer is a prescription cough syrup that contains a combination of alcohol and codeine.
The accused persons were busted by alert security personnel on patrol during an anti-smuggling operation on Thursday evening.
Leeroy Zano (28) and Tinotenda Zano (18) both of Harare, Tanaka Chauke (25) of Chivi and Khanyamezwe Dhlamini from eSwatini have since been charged for violating a section of the Medicines and Allied Substances Control regulation 1991 chapter 15:03 (unlawful possession of prescription preparations).
They were all remanded in custody to October 9 when they briefly appeared before Beitbridge resident magistrate Ms Patience Madondo on Friday.
Prosecuting, Mr Tawanda Chigavazira said on October 2, police officers on patrol during a national anti-smuggling operations intercepted the four accused person soon after entering the country via an illegal cross point at the Limpopo River.
The court heard that Leeroy and Tinotenda Zano were carrying two by 25 litres containing liquid, while Chauke was carrying a red monarch and Dhlamini was carrying a green monarch.
The police searched the four men and discovered 349 x 100mls empty bottles of Broncleer in the red monarch and 350 x 100 mls empty bottles of Broncleer in the green monarch.
The State said the police also received 699 white plastic Broncleer bottle tops from the green bag.
During the process, Leeroy and Tinotenda were made to open their 25 litres containers and it was discovered they were loaded with Broncleer for later packaging in the small containers found in the two bags.
The police in turn confiscated the unregistered medicines with a street value of US$3500 and swiftly arrested the four men.
Of late the Government has been cracking down on drug peddlers and smugglers following an upsurge in the scourge.
Commonly abused drugs in the country include codeine; methamphetamine (crystal meth, commonly known as meth, speed, mutoriro, chalk, ice, crank, guka; glue; broncleer (bronco); solvents — fembo and genkem; chlorpromazine — maragado; mangemba; cane spirit; cocaine and mbanje (cannabis/marijuana) among others.
