By- Police officers yesterday intercepted 400 by 100mls bottles of BronCleer cough syrup with an estimated street value of ZAR40 000.
The contraband was being transported in a Honda Fit vehicle along the Limpopo River.
One person, Custom Savanhu (40) has since been arrested for unlawful possession of prohibited, controlled and restricted medicines.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed.
“On January 4, 2022 a team of police officers who were on patrol, along the Limpopo River enforcing operation ‘No to cross border crimes’, arrested Custom Savanhu aged 40 for unlawful possession of prohibited, controlled and restricted medicines.
“Police recovered 400 x 100ml of Broncleer cough syrup with a street value of ZAR 40 000 which was in a Honda Fit vehicle,” he said.
The arrest comes after three women were intercepted in Harare and Mutare in separate incidents after they were found in possession of 281kg of mbanje and 50 bottles of BronCleer cough syrup.
Another 75 people have been arrested countrywide for dealing in crystal methamphetamine drugs, commonly known as “Mutoriro.”
The three women are Patricia Munyengeri (38), Jennifer Mahachi (28) who were both arrested in the capital while Chenal Mukungatu (34) was arrested in Mutare.
Munyengeri was arrested in Epworth and found with 20kg x 13 bags mbanje weighing 260kg while Mahachi was found in possession of 50 x 100mls of BronCleer cough syrup.
In Mutare, Mukungatu was intercepted with 21kg mbanje along the Mutare–Chimanimani Road.
From December 27, 2021, to January 2, 2022, 75 people were arrested countrywide for dealing in crystal methamphetamine drug under the ongoing operation ‘No to Crystal Meth.’
Most of the suspects are still assisting police with investigations and will appear in court soon.
The arrests came reports that abuse of the dangerous drug called crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as “mutoriro”, “dombo” or “guka”, by youths has reached alarming levels with at least 100 young men and women appearing at the Harare Magistrates Court.
The rise in cases where people are dealing in dangerous drugs is blamed for the surge in cases of drug-induced mental illnesses.
-Herald